New Frontier
by Connor the speling pro
Summary: It's been five years since the events that transpired at the end of Mother 3, but Lucas is still plagued with doubt when faced with this new frontier. Lucas' doubt is akin to hatred from Kristen and Maya, who feel unfulfilled by their new lifestyles. At what point should Lucas cater to the preferences of those who hate this new way of life?
1. Chapter 1

***Updated on 5/15 now that I actually have time to work on this story :)**

**Hello, and thanks for reading! I sometimes get bored of writing City of Progress, so I decided to branch out. Because this is my secondary story, I may not be as reliable with posting this one. Feel more than welcome to review, it really helps me out!**

**I don't own the rights to many of the characters in this story, like Lucas and Kumatora, are from the Mother series. I also have no rights to any of the locations listed in this story. However, the plot is mine (I would hope so!).**

* * *

Kumatora always started their sparring matches by using PK Starstorm, and today was no different. Lucas braced himself as stars fell from the sky, allowing himself to smile at the challenge. Any normal person would have been instantly knocked out, but Lucas was not normal in the slightest. As the stars slammed into him, he hardly felt the pain. Lucas was still human, of course, and the starstorm would surely knock him out.

But it didn't have to knock him out right this second.

Lucas used the psionic stall technique that was the pinnacle of any PSI warrior's defense. This would allow his body to take the damage slowly, rather than all at once. It came so naturally to him by now that he didn't even have to think about it.

Without hesitation, Lucas rushed towards Kumatora, swinging his stick in a cruel arc that connected with Kumatora's legs. Kumatora fell to the ground but retained her intense facial expression. Faster than Lucas could believe, she lashed out with her fist, catching Lucas's leg. Now he was the one who stumbled and fell. Kumatora rushed over and punched Lucas in the face. Kumatora felt that she had the upper hand and became overconfident. As she went in for another punch, Lucas decided to make a gamble.

"PK Love Omega!"

Offensive psionic energy flowed from his brain out into his surroundings in the shape of hexagons that relentlessly bombarded Kumatora, whose offensive position meant that she took the brunt of the damage. She flew back several feet and landed on the grass. Instead of taking the standard option and healing his wounds, Lucas decided to go all in. He charged towards Kumatora, who was still reeling from the PK Love. Lucas dove and grabbed a hold of her wrists, forcing them to the ground and holding them in place. This prevented Kumatora from using most of her psionic abilities, including healing PSI.

Of course, Lucas was still taking enough damage from the starstorm to eventually be knocked out, but Kumatora had taken enough damage that _she _would certainly be knocked out eventually as well. Lucas' hands were busy restraining Kumatora, so he couldn't use PSI abilities either. He just had to hope that Kumatora would go down first.

It was a pretty good hope. Kumatora's surprise at PK Love indicated that she likely put up a subpar psionic stall. That is, unless Kumatora had faked surprise in order to get Lucas to make this gamble. _She's not that crafty, is she? _Lucas asked himself.

It turned out that Lucas' first impression was correct, as Kumatora's body weakened far faster than Lucas'. Eventually, her body went limp, having finally taken all of the damage from PK Love and Lucas' earlier attack. Lucas smiled at his victory and healed himself using PK Lifeup.

"Healing gamma!" Lucas whispered intently, channeling psionic energy into the ability and touching Kumatora.

Kumatora opened her eyes. Her angry "hmph" and annoyed face made Lucas laugh. Kumatora had always hated losing, and being bested by Lucas was something that she especially despised.

* * *

Maya sat in the courtyard of Osohe Castle, desperately trying to forget. Her long, brown hair was distraught, and her brown eyes looked down into the moat below in sorrow. Try as she might, the memory came back to her.

Maya had been so happy. Nyna and her group had implied that they would let Maya join them as a friend. But when she approached Nyna in the cafeteria… she made fun of Maya. That shouldn't have hurt as much as it did.

The scene had been set up from the start to give Maya a false hope, and then that hope was crushed while the other kids laughed and cheered. Maya felt so helpless when facing all of the other school kids. Why did they have to laugh so cruelly?

Their smiles were more painful than their jeers.

Nyna said how ugly Maya was… how none of the boys would ask Maya out. Even if that were true, why should it matter? Queen Kumatora was the role model for the world and she hadn't cared at all about attracting boys.

Even still…if Nyna had to reject Maya, why did she have to inflict extra pain? Maya would never understand why the girls at her school insisted on tormenting her so. They should feel lucky that they were already popular and didn't have to struggle for morsels of positive attention.

They should feel lucky that nobody made fun of their birth status.

Maya tried to choke down her bitterness. She knew that it wouldn't do any good to dwell on the incident, but she couldn't let it go. _Stop moping, _she told herself. _I don't have any homework. I should be having fun. _She supposed that she could aimlessly wander through the halls of Osohe Castle like she had yesterday. It certainly was a way to kill time…

She nodded and stood up. She would walk through the vast, stone halls of the castle, examining every crack, every imperfection. That way, she couldn't think about bigger issues, such as how much longer she could take the bullying. _If only I were back in New Pork, _she thought. _That place was horrible, but New Tazmily is not any better. At least in New Pork, nobody knew who I was... _She cut herself off. No thinking.

* * *

Kristen skulked through the hallways of Osohe Castle, mobile phone strapped to her head. Wonderful inventions, those mobiles. As someone who liked to work with technology, Kristen respected whoever had invented these. She sat in the shadows draped in a black cloak. With her black cloak, mobile, and raven-black eyes and charcoal hair cut short, she appeared as a stealth agent from one of the movies. She might as well have been one, as anyone walking by wouldn't notice Kristen unless they were _very _observant. Kristen had gotten very good at hiding; such skills were essential to surviving in a harsh city like New Pork, which was where Kristen had spent her childhood. New Pork… it was a curse and a blessing all in once. It malnourished her, beat her, but gave her purpose. Working with technology was… a joy, to say the least.

She still remembered how the city had burned.

She hadn't died when the old world had ended, but something inside her had. In the same way that the world had been reborn, Kristen too adopted a vastly different personality. She had tried before to help society with her mechanical creations, but… they were all destroyed. Now, she played the role of a demolitionist.

Because to rebuild, something had to be destroyed.

That was the boy king's logic when he pulled the final needle, wasn't it? Kristen shook her head bitterly. She could understand the psychological torture that he must have faced, but couldn't he see that some people loved the innovation of New Pork? Sure, the slums and filth were unnecessary, but the basic foundation was there.

Kristen blinked back into the present as a command came through the mobile phone:

"Proceed with the plan," a fuzzy voice spoke. "This is too important to abandon, despite the risks."

Kristen nodded to herself and slowly advanced down the stone hallway in front of her. She sneered in disgust at the torches that were used. Everyone said that New Pork had been terrible for the environment, but burning torches released carbon dioxide as well. Such hypocrites…

No, she couldn't focus on that now. She made sure that nobody was looking and turned around a corner. She saw a cold, stone wall in front of her. Kristen licked her lips in anticipation and placed a bomb that looked more like a computer RAM than an explosive next to the wall. Did the boy king honestly think that mere stone could stop her? She took a few reluctant steps back and pulled out the detonator, cherishing it for that moment.

Without hesitation, she pushed the switch.

* * *

Lucas sat in his work room, trying to think. The work room was sparse, with a simple wooden desk and a couple of shelves to store anything that he wanted to. He didn't have much on the shelves, though; most of his valued mementos were placed inside his chambers. A simple window was usually enough to let light in, and a candle functioned just fine when the sun provided insufficient light.

Kumatora walked into the room with a level of swagger that he had grown to expect.

"Nice fight," She said with a friendly smile. "I'll get you next time, though."

Lucas shook his head ruefully.

"I have more important things to worry about than sparring, Kumatora."

"Ah, right, you and your _thinking,_" Kumatora said mockingly. "What's on your mind now, Lucas? You should probably learn to tell me about your problems. We have been married for two years, after all."

Lucas still had a hard time believing that he gotten been married when he was only 16. It was hardly what he expected, but what was? Expectations were false more often than not.

"Are we tyrants, Kumatora?" Lucas wondered out loud.

Kumatora raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well… we declared ourselves the rulers without approval," Lucas responded. "Doesn't that make us tyrants?"

Kumatora shrugged.

"The people like us. I don't think anyone faulted us for taking control. This town needed _some _order."

"Still, I feel like we are tyrants."

"Better to have benevolent tyrants than vigilante rule," Kumatora said bluntly.

Lucas sighed.

"I… suppose so," he conceded.

Kumatora smiled at Lucas like a mother would.

"You think too much."

"Better than too little," Lucas responded without hesitation.

"Like me?" Kumatora asked. "Do I think too little?"

"No," Lucas said, uncertain about whether or not he really thought that.

"Really?" Kumatora asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, really."

"Aw, that's no fun," Kumatora moped with a mock sigh.

"You _want _to be insulted?" Lucas asked incredulously.

"Yeah, that way we can argue. I haven't gotten in a good argument in a long time, and it's all your fault."

"Gee, I'm sorry," Lucas said with a sarcastic roll of his eyes.

"Forgiven," Kumatora replied nonchalantly. "Anyways, I think that I'm going to go into town. See you later."

Lucas nodded by as Kumatora left. _Man, we have to be the least romantic couple I've ever seen, _he thought. But, he supposed, that was only natural. Their marriage was political rather than out of love. That bothered Lucas. Political marriages belonged in the cold streets of New Pork, not in the warm community of New Tazmily. But… something about New Tazmily seemed to be less pure than the original village. _Was brainwashing everyone the right choice? _Lucas wondered.

That was a tantalizing question. On the one hand, the brainwashing meant that people weren't properly conditioned to the terrors of industrialism. On the other hand, though… not having that innocence had costed people much. After all, the original Tazmily had functioned fine without a government or laws.

_I wish that I could step aside, but I honestly don't trust my people to do what is right, _Lucas thought. That was the ultimate hypocrisy of Lucas' mission. He had defeated Porky's tyrannical reign… to insert his own. That made Lucas want to vomit.

_No, _Lucas thought. _I can think about that later. I need to focus on something that will actually be of help to me._

* * *

Lucas sat at his desk for hours more, mulling over policy ideas. Suddenly, he heard an explosion from somewhere deep in the depths of the castle. Startled, he leapt from his desk and ran to the source of the explosion without thinking, using PK Run to make himself move faster. He hardly noticed the servants as he dashed past, a thousand possibilities playing through his mind, none of them good.

Eventually, Lucas arrived at the keeping room, where all of the miscellaneous technological devices that had survived the destruction of the world were held. The room held everything from robot limbs to portable computers to signs with neon lighting. Lucas kept these gadgets around to learn about the dangers that they held.

Well… that wasn't totally true. Lucas dreamed of a world where these devices could coexist with the close community of a small town. Lucas' heart leapt when he saw a tall woman in a black cloak holding some of the valuable pieces of technology, a hole blasted into the wall behind her. Then he saw something even scarier.

The woman was holding a girl with chestnut hair and hazel eyes who looked about 13 or 14 with one arm. The other arm held a gun that was pressed against the girl's temple.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the second chapter that you guys didn't think was coming! :D**

**Anyways, I decided to write this story because of Mother 3's focus on the positive effects of traditional, small towns. I'm... not sure if I agree that close-knit villages are the key to happiness, but Mother 3 certainly provides a persuading argument. I eventually developed three views of the small town vs. big city issue that I wanted to work out in my head. These views are represented through Lucas, Maya, and Kristen. I put quite a bit of myself in all of them, which is strange because they are all so different! xD**

**In this chapter, not everyone knows each other's name, so they refer to each other more generally. Just for clarification:**

**"The woman" or "The woman in black" is Kristen | "The boy king," is Lucas | "The girl" is Maya.**

**Also, reviews are greatly appreciated. Seriously, reading reviews is one of the favorite parts of my day! Also, don't be afraid to PM me. :) I promise that I'll try not to be scary!**

* * *

"Take a step closer and I'll shoot!" Kristen warned, holding her laser gun up to the limp girl's head as her heart pounded in her rib cage.

Of course, Kristen was lying. She couldn't just _kill _someone! However, the boy king didn't know that. Kristen knew that she couldn't beat Lucas and his PSI in a fight, so she had to resort to less palatable methods. Kristen allowed herself an evil smile. _See how the boy king deals with that, _Kshe thought.

"Grr…" Lucas growled like a caged beast.

Kristen could read his expression clearly; one had to know be proficient in reading body language to survive in the slums of New Pork. Knowing the difference between a pigmask who would give Kristen bread when she asked and one who would give her the back of his hand was vital, and those pigmasks had _masks _on. Reading the boy king's face was child's play. She could see the anger written on his face, but he also carried a reluctance that made Kristen _sure _that Lucas wouldn't risk this girl's life.

"Listen," Kristen said, trying not to seem inherently hostile. "We don't like each other. We never will, and we don't have to. All I need is for you to let me go safely with the technology that I stole."

"You steal and assume that you can get away?" Lucas asked with a raise of his eyebrow, looking curious rather than enraged. "Is that one of your creeds?"

"Stealing is not inherently wrong," Kristen responded.

To her surprise, Lucas nodded.

"I agree, but stealing something that could end hundreds of lives _is _wrong."

"I'm not going to kill anyone with this technology! …Unless I absolutely have to," Kristen added, knowing that she needed to appear stalwart in order to keep her choke hold on Lucas.

"I would be ecstatic to discuss the morality of stealing dangerous technology _after _you've released the poor girl that currently has a gun to her head," Lucas asserted coldly, his words piercing Kristen like daggers.

Damn it, she did _not _want to be holding this girl hostage! But… she didn't have a choice. This mission was just too important.

"Well then," Kristen started with a superior smile that buried her inner anguish. "If you let me go, I'll release the hostage as soon as I'm sure that nobody is following me."

Kristen could tell from the look on the Lucas' face that he didn't believe her. That was natural; he was one of those hero types that assumed that nobody except for the people on his side could have morals. Although… he did seem open to her ideas, at least more than Kristen had expected. She didn't know what to make of that…

"What if you don't?" Lucas asked, cocking his head and narrowing his eyes. "What if you're lying to me and you don't feel anything inside? What if you're afraid that I'll track you down if that girl figures out where you're headed and you decide to kill her to keep your tracks hidden?"

"You'll have to make that risk," Kristen responded, knowing that claiming honesty wouldn't work. "If you want to kill me, then go ahead! You'll just have to know that there was a chance that this girl here could have lived. Can you bear the guilt?"

Lucas' twisted face indicated that he couldn't. The boy king took a step back, causing Kristen to feel a certain pride that she had shown him that he wasn't some divine ruler. Lucas gritted his teeth and started at Kristen intently, although Kristen found an unsettling lack of anger in his look.

"F…Fine," Lucas snarled. "Take your precious devices and leave if they mean enough to you that you will stoop so low to kill another human being!"

_I would never, _Kristen thought, but said nothing. She could feel the girl shivering in fear as Kristen slowly lowered her gun. _I hope she's all right, _Kristen thought. And if she wasn't… well, she would have to open her eyes to the harsh world around her eventually, so why not now?

Keeping an eye on Lucas, Kristen ran nimbly through the halls of Osohe Castle to freedom. The boy king didn't move an inch.

* * *

_I'm going to die, _Maya thought weakly as the woman in black dragged her through the forest. There was no way that she would just let Maya go free, considering that Maya now knew the direction the woman was heading in and could extrapolate that data to discover her destination. The woman kept a firm grip on Maya's right wrist, so much so that Maya could see a dull, purple bruise forming. She could certainly _feel _a bruise forming.

Suddenly, Maya felt the grip on her wrist release, and she sighed at the relief that the lack of pain brought. She looked at the woman in black and wanted to run away in terror. _No! _Maya told herself. _That would get me killed! _

So Maya settled with cowering in fear.

"Hmm…" the woman in black mused. "I don't think that the boy king is following me, at least not close enough to see where I'm going." She turned to Maya. "You can go now."

"Wait," Maya spoke up, her voice cracking from fear but her sprits rising from hope. "You're just… letting me go?"

The woman in black looked _hurt _of all things.

"Of course! I couldn't kill another human being."

_You could have fooled me… _Maya thought. _In fact, you did! _

"What?" the woman asked, noticing Maya's poorly hidden reaction. "I'm not some sort of monster."

Maya tried to stand up a little straighter, but cowering and shivering in a corner just felt so _natural. _Maya recalled the feeling of the gun to her head just minutes earlier and felt a primal sense of terror that blocked everything else out. More than anything, she wanted to run away screaming.

"I guess you don't want to talk to me," the woman said, shaking her head in a slightly condescending way. "I suppose that's understandable."

Maya nodded and swallowed, still feeling a nauseous anxiety. She wanted to get away from this dark forest as soon as physically possible. The woman in black continued walking on the dirt road.

"You should head back to your town," the woman spoke up, actually seeming concerned. "I bet the boy king is worried about you."

_Lucas… _Maya thought, not knowing how to put her emotions together. It both touched her heart and scared her that Lucas would risk letting dangerous technology run free if it meant saving Maya's life.

The woman in black had disappeared around a corner by now; the trees surrounding Maya restricted her ability to see. Hesitantly, Maya started walking back to New Tazmily, imagining dark events occurring on the way back. She logically knew that her suspicions of such events were silly and childish, but she felt anxious all the time.

After a few minutes, Maya heard footsteps coming towards her. A dozen possibilities played in her mind, none of them good. The footsteps neared… and Maya found herself face to face with Lucas.

"Oh!" Lucas exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise and his mouth formed in a genuine smile. "You're okay! That's wonderful!"

Maya looked at Lucas' muscular body and even though he was five years older than her and married, Maya couldn't stop thinking about how attractive he was… _Stop it! _Maya told herself. _This isn't time for one of my shallow fantasies! The machines that the woman stole could cause serious consequences. _

"I… am," Maya managed weakly.

_That was probably the lamest thing I could have said, _Maya thought. Lucas bent down (he was much taller than Maya) and looked at the bruise on Maya's forehead from the gun that the woman in black had held to her head.

"You look unsettled," Lucas remarked. "Is… everything all right?"

"Yes," Maya responded hastily. "Yes, everything is fine."

It surprised Maya that Lucas cared about her emotional state. She had always imagined the athletic heroic types as being… somewhat of jerks, but Lucas clearly defied that prejudiced view. Still, she couldn't just _tell _him how she was really feeling!

"Are you sure?" Lucas asked warmly.

"I… I'm sure," Maya replied, not feeling sure in the slightest.

"Well, you're in charge of you own life, of course, and I don't want to pressure you into doing something that you don't want to," Lucas started, "But feel free to talk to me about _anything. _There's no shame in being scared after someone just threatened to kill you and pointed a gun at your head."

"O-okay," Maya stuttered, not sure if she was nervous of talking to Lucas or in a mental wreck from the events that had occurred in the last half hour. "I… I'm not scared."

"That honestly concerns me a bit," Lucas said, raising his eyebrow and studying Maya with a worried expression. "It's natural to be scared."

"You wouldn't be scared," Maya whispered more bitterly than she had expected.

"That's true…" Lucas conceded. "But that's just because a gunshot to the head wouldn't have killed me. If it would have… I would have been quaking in fear had I been in your situation."

"Really?" Maya asked in shock.

The fact that Lucas could be afraid just… didn't make sense on a fundamental level. He was the king, after all. He had overthrown Porky's horrifying empire. Fear and Lucas went together like ice cream and ketchup.

"Of course I would be afraid," Lucas answered. "There's so much that I want to do with my life. If I felt that all of that might be taken away from me… then I would be quite terrified indeed."

"That's not quite what I was afraid about," Maya said bitterly. "I… don't have much of a life to return to."

_Idiot! _she told herself. _I'm talking to the king! He doesn't want to hear about my pathetic struggles. _Maya looked up and to her surprise, Lucas looked genuinely concerned.

"Why is that?" he asked.

"Um… I just let that slip out. I'm sure that you don't want to hear…" Maya trailed off.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to hear," Lucas said with a warm smile. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine, but I don't want you to keep your woes to yourself just because you think that I'm not interested."

Now Maya felt _really _stupid. She didn't want to complain about her life to someone like Lucas, but she didn't seem to have much of a choice at this point…

"I've… been bullied a bit," Maya said meekly.

_What if he laughs? _she thought.

"Well, bullying can be powerful," Lucas said gravely, "Especially if there are multiple people attacking you. It's hard to fight the mocking laughter of multiple children when you feel so small."

Maya blinked.

"How… do you know?" she asked. "You put it better than I could have, and I've had to deal with bullying for five years. Have… you been bullied before?"

"Eh…. not really," Lucas replied. "Most people around me were pretty nice… actually, they picked on my brother quite a bit. He was always the reckless one."

"You have a brother?" Maya asked. Why had she never heard this before?

"Had," Lucas replied. "I did have a brother once, just as I had a mother…"

_He's… dead? _Maya thought, not sure what to make of the information.

Lucas shook his head.

"Don't worry about me," Lucas said. "I've been able to deal with my problems, and you seem to have some of your own."

"You… really consider bullying to be a legitimate problem?" Maya asked hesitantly, not fully able to believe that someone other than her truly understood what she was talking about.

"Sure," Lucas replied. "Being bullied is worse than what I've gone through, in a way. At least I can believe that my mother and brother are happy where they are…"

Maya shuffled her feet uncomfortably. She had finally found someone who legitimatized her problems, and he was the _king of New Tazmily. _From his image, Maya had expected Lucas to look down upon his subjects like most heroes and rulers did. But Lucas seemed just like… a regular person_. _That probably shouldn't have come as a surprise to Maya, but it did.

"Hmm…" Lucas said, frowning in thought. "Is it okay if I try something out with my PSI?"

"Of course!" Maya hastily answered.

Lucas smiled in thanks and whispered something, closing his eyes. Maya swore that the air rippled around Lucas as he seemed to be focusing on something with an intense ferocity. Lucas' eyes snapped open, and he looked straight at Maya. _Uh-oh! _she thought, feeling her heart fill with fear. _What was he doing? Is there something wrong with me…?_

"You can use PSI," Lucas announced with a triumphant smile.


	3. Chapter 3

**Big upload day today! :)**

**While Maya's personality is fairly realistic (imo), I get that it can be a bit mopey. That's why this chapter is all from Lucas' POV (no Kristen today, sadly D:). The problem with that is that Lucas has his own quirky personality. He tends to over think things and doesn't react the way that most people do. I don't think that it's annoying (and it was sure fun to write the conversation with Kumatora, who shares little in common with Lucas!), but I just wanted to give you a heads up. :)**

**Reviews would help this story out a TON because I honestly don't know how I'm doing. **

* * *

Lucas could tell that the girl in front of him didn't think that he was being serious. She still slouched and tried to look small in the massive, engulfing forest, but a flash of pain in her eyes tipped Lucas off that she thought that Lucas was making fun of her.

"Me?" she asked hesitantly. "Is… this a joke? I mean, there's no way that _I _could use PSI. I'm just… me."

Lucas smiled. This girl reminded Lucas of himself when he was younger.

"What's your name?" Lucas asked gently.

"Maya," The girl responded quickly. Too quickly.

_She still seems nervous around me, _Lucas noted. He guessed that it was natural; his reputation made him seem quite formidable indeed.

"Well Maya," Lucas started with a friendly smile. "I felt the same way when I discovered that I could use PSI. I had always been considered to be the crybaby of the town… I hardly expected to find myself capable of using such power."

Maya blinked.

"You… were considered to be a crybaby?"

"Yeah," Lucas replied. "It seems so distant now, but… that person that I was is still a part of me. That's why I do truly understand what you're going through with the bullying. Although… while everyone looked down on my acute emotional responses, nobody overtly made fun of me for it. I suppose that your situation is a bit more challenging than mine."

Maya blushed, taking a step back.

"Really, my problems aren't that bad…"

"Don't understate the severity of your problems," Lucas said. "It doesn't help anybody. I know from experience."

Maya sighed.

"But if I complain… then everyone will think that I'm a whiner."

_Ah yes, I remember that struggle now, _Lucas thought.

"Well, you can feel free to come and talk to me whenever you need to complain," Lucas offered with a slight smile. "That way, you can legitimatize your own struggles without everyone else hearing. Venting your anger can be… quite cathartic."

"Nonono!" Maya exclaimed. "I… wouldn't want to bother you."

"I wouldn't have offered if it I saw you as a bother," Lucas responded.

Maya sat there, saying nothing.

"Well, do you want me to awaken your PSI potential in you?" Lucas asked.

Maya's hazel eyes lit up.

"Oh! You can do that?"

Lucas nodded.

"I… guess so," Maya answered hesitantly.

"It's fine if you say no," Lucas asserted. "I don't want to pressure you into anything."

"I want to learn PSI," Maya said confidently.

_Now there's a spark of determination, _Lucas noted. _She's been beaten down, but she hasn't been defeated. I need to make sure that she uses that determination in a positive way. _

"I'm sorry for putting this on you, but I have a couple conditions for teaching you PSI," Lucas said.

"What are they?" Maya asked eagerly.

"First," Lucas started. "You will come to me or Kumatora if you have troubles with PSI. I don't want your powers to get out of control. PSI can be quite dangerous."

Maya nodded slowly, not looking happy but seeming respectful of Lucas' request.

"The second condition is that you will not flaunt your PSI in any way. That includes using it in the presence of other people unless you have a _very_ good reason to."

Maya's face soured and she hunched her shoulders in disappointment. _I thought so, _Lucas confirmed.

"You wanted to bring your PSI to school and teach the bullies a lesson, didn't you?" Lucas asked.

"…Yes," Maya quietly replied after a pause.

"I'm going to be blunt," Lucas said. "That is the absolute _worst _thing that you can do right now. Responding to harmful acts with more harmful acts creates a vicious cycle of cruelty. I'm not saying that the bullies don't deserve it, but you should work on yourself before you project your pain onto other people."

Maya looked hurt at Lucas' explanation. _Was I too strict? _Lucas wondered.

"Listen," Lucas continued, more softly this time. "I've been reading about our history recently, and it turns out that a primary cause for many of the world's tyrannical leaders are oppressive childhood experiences. These people were treated poorly like you and became bitter because of it. They then projected their bitterness on other people so that everyone else would hurt like they did. Thousands of people die when that happens, Maya. I don't want you to be _anything _like those people, and I don't think that you do either."

Maya looked into Lucas with wide eyes and nodded.

"You're right," Maya whispered. "I don't want to be like them.

Lucas forced a smile back onto his face.

"But…" Maya continued, her body cutting herself off out of habit. "I… was bullied because of my parents. They were servants in New Pork and they are now servants at Osohe Castle. Everyone in this town says that being a servant is a bad profession and that having farmers for parents is better. And here… everyone knows who I am. How do I deal with _everyone _looking down upon me for something that I can't even control? I wish that I was back in New Pork." Maya's eyes widened as she realized what she was saying. "I didn't mean… that New Pork is better than…"

Ouch. That hurt. The fact that someone would rather be in New Pork with all of its filth than the town that he had created did not weigh lightly on Lucas' mind. He didn't let it make him angry, though. Anger usually was not the answer.

"I know what you mean," Lucas said, realizing for the first time the severity of the issue that Maya presented. "People take pride in being farmers because helping yourself by farming is considered to be stronger than serving someone else. Thank you for bringing that issue to my attention."

"No!" Maya exclaimed. "I didn't mean to say that this town is bad…"

"But you clearly think it is," Lucas interrupted with a smile. "It's fine. Everyone has the right to their own opinion. You're right; the union of elitism among the townspeople was present even in the original Tazmily. At the end of the day, though, you can't force people to be accepting. I think that you should focus on how you feel about your parents' profession and how it applies to you. First of all, what your _parents _do has nothing to do with who you are. Second of all, being a servant is fine, if that's your thing… or your parents' thing, in this case."

"So… you're saying that I should not care about what other people say to me because I know they're wrong?" Maya asked heavily. "That's going to be next to impossible."

"Well… you should care about what they say, but you shouldn't immediately accept their opinions. Use logic to determine whether or not their accusations are legitimate, although in most cases they won't be. Then use that logic against them. Most verbal bullies can't stand up to basic reasoning."

Maya blinked and stood in thought for a few minutes.

"I'm not saying that it's going to be easy," Lucas added, "But you can do it. You don't want to end up being one of those people that lashes out at everything around them in bitterness, do you?"

"That's true…" Maya whispered. "I want to be a good person. I don't want the bullies to hold me back!" She turned to Lucas and gave him a smile of appreciation. "Thank you. I'm not sure if your method will work… but the fact that you care enough about me to suggest it really touches me."

"You're welcome," Lucas replied warmly, "And good luck!"

_She seems to be less nervous around me now… _Lucas thought. _Did I actually manage to talk to a person and get the desired result? _That was pretty unusual; most people didn't follow Lucas' long, wordy arguments.

"So, are you ready to awaken your PSI?" Lucas asked.

"Yes," Maya replied confidently. "I won't misuse it, I promise."

Lucas smiled and began using a complicated PSI ability to bring Maya's potential powers to the surface.

* * *

"So I go and practice that stupid PK Wall thing that you showed me, and guess what happens while I'm gone?" Kumatora asked in an irritated tone.

Lucas and Kumatora were standing in the courtyard of Osohe Castle surrounded by an array of dainty, rainbow flowers that Kumatora despised.

"Hmm… a theft?" Lucas asked, pretending to know nothing.

Kumatora gave Lucas a flat look.

"This is serious, Lucas! Someone stole some dangerous technology through use of a hostage, and they _got away._"

"Yes they did," Lucas affirmed.

"Why are you acting so calm?" Kumatora demanded. "Can't you see how serious this is?"

"Relax, Kumatora. I told you that the person who stole the stuff didn't seem all that evil. I don't think that she'll try to take over the world like Porky did."

"Bah!" Kumatora exclaimed. "You and your hopeless idealism!"

"People don't do bad things unless they feel that they have to, Kumatora."

Kumatora sighed.

"You're infuriating, do you know that?" she asked.

"And why is that?" Lucas responded.

"You're just so… stubborn."

"Hmm… I wouldn't agree with that," Lucas said, furrowing his eyebrows. "I do try my hardest to take other people's opinions into consideration. I try not to back an opinion when I feel that other people have a better one."

"I know, but… Gah! I don't know what it is, but it sure annoys me!"

_Okay… _Lucas thought. _I still don't understand…_

"Besides," Kumatora continued, "Even if the theif isn't going to use the technology for evil, she must have terrified that girl that she took as a hostage!"

"Maya said that she was okay," Lucas responded.

Kumatora raised an eyebrow, looking at Lucas like he couldn't possibly be serious.

"What?" Lucas asked.

"Do you know _anything _about girls, Lucas?"

"I would assume that they're not so different from boys," Lucas replied. "We're all human, after all."

"Well, assuming makes an ass out of you and me," Kumatora retorted. "Girls are different Lucas! We can't just tell people that we're not okay, we have to hold it in and act all bitter about it later. It's obnoxious!"

"I've done that multiple times," Lucas responded with a slight grin. "Please, do go on about how obnoxious it is."

Kumatora blushed.

"I didn't mean…"

"You did," Lucas replied. "It's okay, though. I can see why it would be obnoxious to someone as pragmatic as you."

"You never get offended, do you?" Kumatora asked in wonder.

"Hmm… I do try not to get offended," Lucas answered. "It doesn't really help anyone, you know?"

"I suppose…" Kumatora shook her head. "But if you had experience with not telling other people what you felt, shouldn't you be able to tell when someone else does it?"

"Yeah. I think that Maya has a bit of what you were talking about, but she needs to deal with that herself. I think that she just needs to focus on her internal problems and she'll be fine."

Kumatora sighed.

"You expect too much of people, Lucas."

"And you expect too little," Lucas replied. "People can perform wondrous feats, Kumatora."

Kumatora huffed and turned away.

"Yeah, just keep believing that. While you're sitting here doing nothing, _I'm _going to take this problem into my hands."

Her voice challenged Lucas to try to stop her, but Lucas didn't want to get caught up in another argument. So all he said was: "Good luck."

As Kumatora walked away from the courtyard and the flowers, Lucas decided that he had a trip of his own to make.

* * *

"Hello, father," Lucas said, walking out into the fields where a simple farmer worked.

"Lucas!" Flint exclaimed. "It's been a while since I've gotten a chance to see you!"

"Er… yeah, sorry about that," Lucas apologized, feeling a sense of shame. He had always wanted to make time to visit his father, but he never ended up going.

"It's fine," Flint replied, looking at Lucas with a fatherly smile. "I'm sure that you're very busy. King of New Tazmily, huh? It still seems strange to me."

"Tell me about it," Lucas said wryly. "Being in charge of so many people is stressful, and having to deal with Kumatora takes out a lot of my energy."

Flint nodded.

"I can see that in you, son. You are wearier than I, and at such a young age… that truly concerns me."

Lucas sighed. Before, Lucas would have denied that he was struggling, but what was the point?

"I suppose that you are right," Lucas admitted. "I am weary of this world and its woes. I am weary of trying to solve all of life's problems. But I am doing what has to be done."

"People burn out with that attitude, Lucas."

"Father… I have a somewhat blunt question to ask you," Lucas announced, trying to change the subject.

Flint smiled.

"Go ahead, Lucas. Ask me anything."

"All right. Do you ever feel that… you should be doing more with your life?"

"No," Flint responded instantly. "I'm a farmer and I've always loved it. What more would I want to do with my life?"

"There are so many people out there…" Lucas whispered. "People that are broken like us. We lived through mother's death. We lived through Claus' death. Shouldn't we use that experience to try to benefit society?"

"You are trying to do everything, Lucas," Flint said sadly. "That's not healthy."

"Someone has to," Lucas retorted.

"Lucas, do you enjoy your job?" Flint asked.

"No," Lucas replied. "I love helping people, but I always feel that nothing that I'm doing is working. I'm trying to change people, but people resist change."

"Well, you should try to do what you enjoy," Flint asserted. "That way, it doesn't feel like a job."

"But what I'm doing benefits society as a whole," Lucas argued.

"It does, so long as you can keep up," Flint replied, looking Lucas straight in the eye. "But how long can you keep doing something that you hate?"

"As long as I have to," Lucas responded.

"And do you think that you will do the best job that you can if you despise what you are doing?"

"…"

"Exactly, Lucas. You need to find something that you _want _to do. You say that you love helping people, so why don't you try to help people your own way?"

"What if the way that I want to help people involves using some of New Pork's surviving technology? What if they way that I want to help people goes against the very notion of New Tazmily?"

"Then use that technology," Flint said, looking at Lucas with deadly serious eyes. "And use it well."


	4. Chapter 4

**So, I haven't updated this story in over three weeks. It feels like more. xD**

**Anyways, if you didn't notice, this story is rated K+, which means that I can't really kill off any of my characters. D: It also means that this story in general will be lighter. It's kind of a relief writing lighter stuff, but the issues that I really enjoy writing about require some darkness. So... I dunno how this one will turn out.**

**Oh, ****This story will be far shorter than City of Progress.**** Tbh, I'm already mentally mapping out my next fanfics... I'm not sure if I'm going to do a ****Zelda**** fanfic after this or another ****Mother**** one. **

**And oh man, it's nice writing 2.5 k word chapters rather than 7k word chapters! :D**

**Reviews are especially helpful because this story is different from ****City of Progress**** in quite a few ways, so I don't know if I'm screwing up or not. xD**

* * *

Kristen heard the rickety caravan bumbling down the forest road before she spotted it. She bounded through the foliage of the forest to get a better view. Kristen spotted about a dozen wagons, each of them packed with a variety of goods.

_A trading caravan! _Kristen confirmed. _Just my stroke of luck!_

Kristen walked up to the wagons, causing them to halt. At the head of the wagons sat a middle-aged woman with a hard jawline and a stern look. Even sitting on a wagon, she managed to look imposing even compared Kristen and her equipment.

"What do you want?" the woman asked curtly. "We're busy here, if you can't tell."

"I have some goods that I want to-"

"No trades," the woman interrupted. "We're busy. Didn't I say?"

Kristen opened her backpack and pulled out a flashlight that she had stolen. The woman jolted up in her seat.

"How did you get that?" she asked. "Those things aren't supposed to exist anymore."

"They're not supposed to," Kristen replied with a confident smile as she switched the light on, "But they do."

"Huh," the woman said. "I guess I can make an exception, this one time. What do you want for that flashlight?"

_Heh, it's funny how quickly merchants change their mind when they see profits on the horizon…_

Kristen had been keeping a mental list of what she wanted. Scanning the wagons, she saw most of what she desired.

"I would like a sizable amount of nonperishable food like beef jerky, a jug of that cider that you have there, candy, toys, and a half-dozen wool blankets."

"All for one flashlight?" The woman asked incredulously.

Kristen pulled out battery packs from her backpack.

"These things will-"

"I know what batteries do," the woman interrupted. "I wouldn't have taken the trade without them. Still, you ask for too much."

_She's not actually surprised, _Kristen figured. _She just wants to barter for less. _

"Fine," Kristen conceded, having intentionally asked for more than she wanted in order to make her next offer seem more reasonable. "I don't want the cider, and I'll take four wool blankets instead of six."

"That's more like it," the woman said quickly, too quickly.

_Am I getting cheated? _Kristen wondered. It didn't seem that way, but she probably was due to the overwhelming lack of supply for flashlights. However, she didn't really care. Life wasn't about material gain, after all.

"We still have to work out which… types of candy and toys you want," the woman said, raising an eyebrow to ask why Kristen desired such items in the first place.

"Ah, yes," Kristen replied amiably. "We should work that out. The children back in my village will be quite pleased."

The woman's eyes flashed with understanding. Kristen expected to see a look of disdain on the woman's face, disdain that Kristen was giving her hard earned goods away to other people, but the woman only seemed concerned with the trade. It was quite refreshing that this woman minded her own business without caring about other people. Kristen could deal with people like that.

They would stay out of her way when she changed the world.

"Come on," the woman offered gruffly. "I'll show you what we have."

* * *

Maya felt a nauseous anxiety settle in her stomach as she entered Tazmily High School the next day. Acid bubbled up her throat, forcing her to burp. After releasing the gas, Maya was left with a sensation that felt similar to what she felt when she was about to throw up. However, this feeling was milder; it wouldn't cause her to actually hurl everywhere. Still, Maya knew this experience well enough to know that it would probably pester her for the rest of the day.

_The worst part isn't the nausea, _Maya thought. _It's the fact that I know that it will persist. This sickening feeling makes me want to give up. _

But she couldn't give up, not before school even started! Maya thought about what had happened to her recently.

She felt an icy trepidation when remembering the way that the woman in black held the gun up to her head… and her anxiety magnified when she realized that Nyna would probably jeer at Maya's misfortune.

_That's what I hate about living in a small town, _Maya thought. _News spreads around faster than a carrier pigeon can fly. By now, the whole school will have heard about my capture…_

Why couldn't she just be forgotten? Forget being popular, Maya would jump for joy if everyone else just ignored her.

_Except… there's Lucas. _

Lucas had portrayed a shocking kindness towards Maya. She harkened back to their PSI lesson after Maya had been set free. Lucas instructed masterfully, pointing out all of Maya's faults in a delicate way. Maya held that memory close, as if scared that it would be wrenched away from her.

And the lesson yielded more than a fond memory. By the end of the three hour session, Maya had learned a variety of PSI abilities.

_PK Freeze… PK Run… Lifeup… PK Anti-G._

Apparently, Lucas had discovered PK Run and PK Anti-G fairly recently. PK Run did what the name implied; it provided a drastic boost to running speed. PK Anti-G was more obscure. It lessened the gravitational forces on the target entity. This allowed the recipient to jump far higher than normal… or even float in air. That sounded cool, but Lucas had let slip that he had discovered another PSI ability, PK Fly, that did Anti-G's job while providing additional maneuverability.

That was okay, though. Maya couldn't remember the last time that she had felt so happy as when she learned those abilities. She would have been pleased no matter _which _PSI abilities she learned.

_Why can I barge through three hours of strenuous mental activities when I can hardly focus on my homework for 30 minutes? _she wondered.

_It… must be about satisfaction, _she realized after a pause._ When I do my homework, I don't feel that I'm accomplishing anything significant, as I struggle and get frustrated. However, I can push through the mental exercise of learning new PSI because I actually feel that I am making progress. _

That was why Maya hated dealing with people at school. It wasn't because she despised being made fun of, really. More than anything, what hurt Maya was the knowledge that things would _never _get better. She would always get bullied. End of story.

_But… not necessarily. _

Now Maya had PSI. Lucas had told her not to use it unless an emergency occurred, but Maya was sorely tempted to teach Nyna a lesson…

"Hey, Maya."

Startled, Maya turned to find herself face to face with a tall boy. She recognized him as Fuel, a junior at Tazmily High.

"Hello, Fuel," she replied evenly, bracing herself for mockery.

"I heard that you were taken hostage and were threatened at gunpoint."

_Yup, _Maya thought. _Here comes the pain train. Better brace myself…_

"I just wanted to say that I'm _really _sorry about what happened to you," Fuel said sympathetically.

_What? _

"I… wait, you're not going to mock me?" Maya asked incredulously.

Fuel seemed taken aback.

"Mock… you? After what you've been through? That would be cruel, Maya."

Maya sighed in relief. He really _wasn't _going to make fun of her!

"I… I'm sorry for assuming that," Maya replied quickly. "It's just that I thought that people would mock me for being afraid…"

"Well, there's no shame in feeling fear," Fuel said wistfully. "People can say what they want, but coming face to face with death is a _terrifying _experience."

"It is," Maya concurred softly, shivering as her temple throbbed in memory of the gun that was pressed there…

"I almost died once," Fuel said. "I was in the top floor of my father's house when it suddenly caught fire. I tried to run away, but falling pieces of wood blocked every escape path. In that moment, I really thought that I was going to die. I… cannot describe how _awful _it felt."

Those words lingered in the silence that followed.

"What… happened after that?" Maya finally asked.

"Oh, I was saved by Flint," Fuel replied, blinking back to the present. "You know, Lucas' father."

_It's a small town, _Maya thought. _Of course I know who Flint is. _Still, though… she couldn't blame Fuel for trying to clarify his message.

_My reaction comes from my experiences, _Maya realized. Many people treated Maya as if she lacked basic cognitive functions, so Maya had become oversensitive to all instances where someone explained more than they needed to, regardless of the intent.

_Just another turd in the bucket, _Maya thought. _One more bad quality won't make a difference. _

"So yeah," Fuel started again, "I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone. In the end, the helplessness of not being able to do anything to save yourself hurts just as much as the threat of death. I… don't think that most people understand that…"

Maya nodded sadly, returning to the present.

"Thanks for that, Fuel," she said, adopting a lighter, more thankful tone. "That helps more than you know."

"I'm glad," Fuel replied with a grin. "Well, good luck with your classes."

"You too."

Fuel walked away, leaving Maya upbeat and determined.

_Maybe this day won't be so bad after all… _

That was when she saw Nyna and her cronies walking towards her.

Nyna possessed the strange combination of long, raven-black hair and piercing, blue eyes. She walked with more regality than Queen Kumatora, holding her chin high enough that her pose could have been mistaken for a satirical one. Her cold eyes were always scanning her surroundings, and a quiet, bloodless smile always came to her lips when she saw someone squirm, such as Maya right now. Nyna strode forward, somehow making even her steps seem excessively haughty. She stopped right in front of Maya, flicking her hair back and sneering in the most condescending way possible.

"Well, well, look who let herself become a liability to New Tazmily," Nyna said condescendingly. "Oh, wait. That's you every day. How could I forget?"

Nyna's defining characteristic was her habit of treating everyone around her like trash. This caused her to be popular with the boys for reasons that both escaped and infuriated Maya. Honestly, did they _want _to date a girl that considered them to be lesser beings?

"A liability?" Maya asked stupidly.

Nyna adopted a pitying look that made Maya want to smash her face in.

"You do not know that becoming a _hostage _inhibits the ability of our good King Lucas to do his _job_? I did not think that you were _this _stupid, worm."

Maya felt her rage begin to boil as Nyna's sidekicks laughed. She _so badly _wanted to inflict pain on them.

_I should use PSI, _Maya thought. _That will teach them not to mess with me! _

Maya heard Lucas' words in her head. _Responding to harmful acts with more harmful acts creates a vicious cycle of cruelty. Most verbal bullies can't stand up to basic reasoning. _

Basic reasoning, huh? Maya thought for a second.

"You don't even _have_ a response?" Nyna asked, twisting her mouth in disgust. "Not that I am surprised. Did someone forget to push your 'on' switch this morning?"

_I'm not a robot! _Maya wanted to scream, but didn't let her anger get the best of her. Basic reasoning…

"Nyna," Maya said slowly. "What would you have done?"

"What?"

"If you were faced against someone with a _gun, _what would you have done?"

"Well, for starters, _I_ wouldn't have pissed myself."

That provoked more laughter from Nyna's cronies.

"Yeah!" someone shouted. "She was scared silly by a simple thief!"

"Heh," someone else cut in. "But this is Maya. She's never done _anything _right."

Maya felt so _helpless_. How could she possibly face so many people and their sharpened words? _Basic reasoning, _she thought. _Lucas said that I just have to use basic reasoning. And… I trust him. _

Maya stood up a little straighter. She wasn't being bullied; she was simply getting herself into an… argument of sorts, an argument that she intended to win.

"I was scared," Maya admitted.

"Did you hear that?" one of Nyna's cronies asked, but Maya hardly heard her.

"So you admit that _you_ are a piece of worthless _slime _who doesn't even have the _decency _to resist capture for your neighbors?" Nyna asked.

"Part of that is right," Maya said with a reserved smirk. "I didn't want to risk myself for neighbors like you. After all, I would so _love _to see your head fly into the sky, whether it is attached to the rest of your body or not."

Nyna's jaw dropped.

"_You_ little…"

"I'm not done," Maya cut in. Man, it felt good to be fighting back! "Just because I was scared doesn't make me a piece of slime. First of all, that title fits you far better…"

There it was. Somehow, Maya had shifted the momentum of the discussion. Now _she _was the one in power.

"Stop _talking_ to me, _worm_!" Nyna snarled.

"Hmm… so me being scared isn't bad?" Maya asked. "I thought that you wanted to argue that I was wrong to be afraid. I'd be happy to walk away right now with this victory."

"You… are a _spineless_ little cretin!" Nyna shouted, realizing that she was losing control. "When the woman had you _hostage,_ you didn't do a thing! How is _that_ acceptable in any way?"

"Let me ask you this, Nyna," Maya said confidently. "If you think that not resisting is a fault, why don't you demonstrate how it's done? I could hold a gun to your head, and then you could try to escape. If you fail though… I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. We have to keep the stakes real to truly put you in my position, right?"

Nyna's eyes boggled in surprise. Those eyes showed the truth. Nyna _wouldn't _have tried to resist if she were in Maya's position.

_You were right, Lucas! _Maya exclaimed. _Bullies can't stand up to the power of basic logic! _

"You _morons_!" Nyna shouted desperately to her sidekicks, clearly not used to falling behind. "Do something!"

The four other girls stepped towards Maya aggressively.

_Uh-oh, _Maya thought. Each of those girls was stronger than her… Maya couldn't afford to get into a fistfight. She would have to fight her way out with words.

"Nyna, I see that you must resort to violence in order to get what you want," Maya said, masking her fear under a confident smile. "Here I was thinking that violence was _uncultured _and _barbaric_," she finished, mimicking Nyna's habit of excessively enunciating specific words (in this case, the words "uncultured" and "barbaric").

Nyna's eyes jolted wide open. She had used both of those adjectives to describe fistfights between boys multiple times before. Realizing that she couldn't justify physically attacking Maya while preserving her image, Nyna gritted her teeth and pointed at Maya.

"This isn't over, _worm._"

Maya smiled as Nyna and her cronies turned around and strode off down the hall like the spoiled, selfish princesses that they were.

_Thank you so much, Lucas! _Maya thought. _And thank you too, basic logic!_

With a start, she realized that her nausea had disappeared, leaving a feeling of mild contentment in its wake.

_Aw yeah! _Maya thought. _Watch out school, because I'm coming and I'm not a complete loser this time! _

Maybe today really _wouldn't _be so bad.


	5. Chapter 5

**Here I am to save the day with my fast update speeds! :D**

**How's everyone's summer going? Although, I suppose if you live in the southern hemisphere, this is winter. That just seems weird to me. xD Ah yes, how we humans struggle to understand experiences that are different from our own...**

**I digress, however. :) So... yeah, I'm hoping to finish this story fairly quickly. Holy crap, my family is going on a ton of trips this summer (just saw that on Google Calendars)! So... that may inhibit my ability to update quickly. **

**Also, if you've read City of Progress, you may see similarities between characters in this story and that one. Kristen is quite a bit like Ana, and Maya shares some attributes with Lloid. However, I believe that they are distinct enough from City of Progress characters to maintain their own identities.**

**Also, more weird names coming. ;)**

**Oh, and I will be responding to all reviews personally. I got the idea from Phoesong, who is both an awesome person and a fabulous writer. :) If you haven't read ****The Power of Love**** (which you probably have if you've found yourself reading this obscure story), check it out! **

**Review Responses:**

**A Fan:**** Well, I didn't think that you ch. 3 review was mean at all! :) Tbh, I still don't completely know why you think it's mean-spirited.**

**Yup, and I feel like Zelda fans would get a bit more annoyed if I screwed something up (in ****City of Progress****, I think I had Ness use a PSI ability that he couldn't learn in game and nobody cared). Research... blargh! I try to do some worldbuilding on my own so that I don't have to know all of the lore. Tbh, my biggest concern with that one is that I'm planning on giving the goddesses distinct personalities, and I'm not sure how people will take that...**

**I would say that there are three protagonists: Lucas, Maya, and Kristen. They are the only planned POV characters.**

**You touched on something interesting with the antagonist thing. Personally, I like it when the antagonist is not firmly established during the first part of a story; it feels more powerful when not all of the problems are the fault of one big bad dude. There is a major antagonist coming (and it's not Nyna), but not this chapter. Probably next chapter or the one after that.**

**Well, I hope that you enjoy this story! :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**OrangeFlight of ShadowClan:**** Thanks! :)**

**Huh... really? Most OCs have weird backstories and stuff? I guess that I can see that... but personally, my OCs are usually my less weird characters because I start from scratch rather than adding flavor to established characters. I mean, look at Lucas in this fanfic! He's pretty weird. :P**

**Yeah, the part where Maya stood up for herself was fun to write. :) Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

* * *

Kristen entered a candlelit house. The flames from the candles danced in the darkness, creating shadows out of books and desks. Kristen took a deep breath as she approached a masked man who sat idly in a chair in front of her. Clothing obscured every part of his body, leaving Kristen with no indication of what he looked like under his plain, white mask. The man stood up surprisingly smoothly considering that he was burdened by a prosthetic leg.

"Kristen," the man said. His voice sounded harsh, as per usual.

"Drake," she replied respectfully.

Drake was somewhat of an enigma in the small town of Ruldor where Kristen lived. After working with him for years, Kristen still knew next to nothing about him. Still, he possessed skills so useful that most people didn't care who he was.

"I saw you giving toys and candy out to children," Drake said in a disapproving voice.

"That is no crime," Kristen maintained.

On the inside, fear started to gnaw at her her heart. Drake somehow managed to provoke fear in everyone that he talked to. He was just so _imposing. _Kristen didn't know how he did it. Maybe it was the way that he never slouched, or maybe it was the way that he never seemed to be satisfied with anything. He always expected _more, _and people usually scuttled to try to please him.

"You did not find those objects laying on the road, Kristen," Drake said. "You traded some of the goods that you stole."

Kristen pursed her lips. It was so _hard _to keep her voice from shaking when talking to Drake.

"I did," Kristen responded simply, determined not to let her fear show.

"Your kindness blinds you to what has to be done," Drake said sharply. "Surely you are aware that we _must not fail _if we want people to experience happiness in this new world."

Kristen gritted her teeth.

"It was just one flashlight!" she shouted, losing her composure. "And besides, kindness is _not _a weakness! Don't give me that crap about preforming distasteful deeds for the greater good. We both know that the world doesn't work that way. If we commit heinous crimes in the name of the overall well-being of the world, our focus becomes obscured. We lose our focus, our drive. Eventually, we become hollow husks of our former selves. That is what happened to Porky."

"You know…" Drake mused. "You sounded quite a bit like Lucas there."

Kristen snarled.

"I am _nothing _like the boy king!" she shouted, louder than she probably should have.

Kristen closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She _hated _being compared to those that took what she loved away from her, and Drake knew it. Still, she couldn't afford to get angry. Anger caused nothing but destruction.

"You talk back too much," Drake accused strictly. "You are a useful apprentice, but do not forget your place."

That shut Kristen up.

"It is not so much the action that concerns me," Drake continued, "But the precedent that it sets. Obtaining technology is our utmost priority. Kindness can lead to unnecessary risks. I assume that you escaped without detection…"

Kristen gulped.

_Does he know? _she wondered. _Does he know about my encounter with the boy king? _It would be just like Drake to put Kristen through the pain of confessing even though he already knew what she had done.

"Actually, I… may have encountered Lucas," Kristen admitted. "I took a hostage and escaped. I laid a false path on the natural road to the eastern wilderness before releasing the hostage and doubling back here. I-"

"You WHAT?" Drake asked, losing his imposing indifference for the first time that Kristen had seen.

When Drake showed emotion at all, something was either very good or very bad. Kristen had a feeling which one it was this time.

The scars on Kristen's back started to throb.

_No… _Kristen thought. _I escaped New Pork's slums! I won't let myself get whipped ever again… I'll be safe… _Sometimes it scared her how much those childhood experiences had affected her.

"Is… something wrong?" Kristen asked meekly.

"The eastern road… you _fool!_" Drake roared. "Didn't it ever occur to you that the road could be there for a _reason? _If someone rushes down that road, thinking that they are chasing you… it could have terrible repercussions."

_What? _Kristen thought. _What could possibly exist in that wilderness that would make Drake this worried?_

"But…" Kristen piped in weakly. "Lucas isn't the type to pursue for long…"

Drake looked at Kristen. She couldn't see the emotion under his mask, but she could only imagine that it was scorn. Kristen shrunk back, just like she had done so many times before…

"Lucas may not be the type, but Kumatora is!" Drake yelled. "Honestly, do you think about _anything?_"

That hurt.

_Kumatora… how does he know that about her? _Kristen wondered, trying to focus on that question rather than the sharp edges of Drake's words.

"Maybe you should have _told _me-"

"I don't want to hear excuses," Drake interrupted. "We are going to the eastern wilderness right now. I have to correct _your_ foolish mistake!"

Drake shook his head in disgust and grabbed Kristen's arm.

_NO! _

Kristen felt terror flood through her system. This was just like what had happened so many times in New Pork… _No it isn't, _she told herself. _Drake is just mad. After he fixes whatever trouble I caused and scolds me, I'll be fine again. He wouldn't actually hurt me._

_Right?_

* * *

Lucas clutched his head as he feverishly paced through the courtyards of Osohe Castle. He passed by magnificent bushes and flowers, but he didn't notice them. If there had been a person standing in front of Lucas, he probably wouldn't have registered them until he caused a collision.

_What do I do? _He wondered.

That question… Lucas had never found a universal method that he could use to make decisions. He had always assumed that when he became an adult, he would know the right thing to do.

_But as Kumatora said, assuming makes an ass out of you and me. _

Lucas weighed the issue in his mind. He could choose to push an anti-technology agenda, or he could embrace whatever devices the future had to offer.

Lucas felt uncomfortable whenever he thought about accepting technology. Obviously, technology had its uses, but terror assaulted Lucas at the thought of New Tazmily coming anywhere _near _the cold industrialism of New Pork City. More than anything, Lucas wanted future generations to exist in a world where they could live as children for as long as they wanted to. Nobody should have to look at their mother's grave and feel the world rip itself apart at the seams while they were still a child.

But… wouldn't more people die if New Tazmily failed to accept science? After all, new medicines created in New Pork had brought affordable cures to the general public. If Lucas wanted to preserve life, shouldn't he accept progress? He wished that there was a way to promote scientific growth without resulting in technological growth, but that simply was not possible. Intense scientific studies required cutting-edge technology, while the knowledge gained from science promoted technological growth. Shouldn't Lucas accept more advanced technology as a price for the lives saved by science?

…Maybe he should, if preserving life was the only measurement that he cared about. But other concerns assaulted Lucas, flooding his memory. He remembered looking out at New Pork the first time that he had arrived. For all of its splendor, New Pork felt… empty. Additionally, the standard of living in that industrial city was not even comparable to Tazmily's. The pollution… Lucas remembered how much he had missed fresh air. New Pork's smog made him feel like he was slowly suffocating to death. Maybe more lives would be lost by Tazmily remaining in its current state, but the people there would experience greater happiness. That was worth it, right?

But… not everyone was happy in New Tazmily. Lucas harkened back to his conversation yesterday with Maya. She had expressed frustration with the way that everyone knew who she was. She had implied that it made her more self-conscious and caused more people to judge her. For her, the detached society of New Pork was actually a positive attribute. Lucas could sympathize with such beliefs. He remembered how Claus had often been annoyed with the small town community of Tazmily as well. He had always been regarded as a troublemaker, so many adults judged him harshly and threw false accusations at him. Lucas hadn't realized it before now, but Claus must have been exhausted from dealing with all of those misunderstandings… which is why he had always expressed so much interest in exploring the outside world and escaping Tazmily's narrow bounds.

But still… Lucas couldn't endorse such beliefs. He felt that people like Maya or Claus just had to explain what they felt to their neighbors. Lucas had found that most people would listen to a heartfelt explanation. On the other hand, should people be required to express themselves in such ways to be accepted? …No, they shouldn't. In fact, Maya had claimed that many people judged her based on her parents' profession, which was monumentally stupid. Lucas realized that people in small towns tended to be close minded and remained stuck in their own little worlds.

Lucas then remembered the thief's plight. She had expressed interest in technology, and everyone should be able to find a job that they were passionate about… right? It didn't feel right to deny such an opportunity to her or anyone else. Lucas realized then that a small town like New Tazmily was wonderful for some people, but it wasn't right for everyone.

At the same time, though, a large city had issues of its own, whether it was as malicious as New Pork or not. Many people truly enjoyed the close-knit community of a small town, and Lucas wouldn't be right to try to deny them of that experience, either.

So, didn't that mean that the solution would be to create two separate communities, one in a small town and the other in a large city? But… that wasn't possible. Lucas remembered how that situation had occurred in the past, with Tazmily being the small town and New Pork being the big city. In the end, the urban environment overpowered the rural one.

So after all of that thinking, Lucas had gotten nowhere. He still had no idea whether to accept technology or fight it. The lack of progress was… discouraging, to say the least.

Lucas halted as he almost crashed into someone in front of him.

"Sorry!" Lucas exclaimed out of habit. "I… wasn't watching where I was going. I have no excuse."

"Your majesty!" the woman that he had almost crashed into exclaimed. "Don't apologize to me! I am but a simple servant."

Lucas recognized the woman as Lyne, one of the castle's servants.

"Hi, Lucas," another voice spoke.

That voice… Lucas blinked and saw Maya standing meekly next to Lyne. The two looked familiar enough for Lucas to tell that Lyne was Maya's mother.

"Maya!" Lyne exclaimed, seeming aghast. "Where are your manners? This is the _king _of New Tazmily!"

Maya seemed to shrink back a bit.

"Peace, Lyne," Lucas said to Maya's mother. "I told her that she could call me by my first name. If you have a problem with that, I should be the one that you talk to."

Lyne blushed and Maya smiled thankfully.

"Your majesty, I… have you met Maya before?" Maya's mother asked.

"He was there when I was taken hostage," Maya whispered.

"Oh, of course!" Lyne exclaimed. "Your majesty, I am sorry that my daughter was used as a liability against you. I will be sure to teach her how to stand up for her country."

Maya flinched in shock. She stared at the ground in resignation and shame.

_That's not the look that I want her to wear, _Lucas thought. _She has so much potential; it would be a shame if she were held back by her lack of self-confidence._

"Lyne," Lucas said coolly. "Maya did nothing wrong. The thief had a gun pointed at her head. What in the world was she supposed to do?"

"The noble thing would be to-"

"Don't lecture me on what is 'noble,' Lyne," Lucas said. "If I had valued some technological junk over her life, I would have let her die. Since I didn't, I let the thief escape. Maya resisting and getting herself killed wouldn't have helped anyone, least of all me."

Lyne's eyes widened.

"I… forgive me, your majesty."

_She's not sorry for what she said, _Lucas realized. _She's only sorry that she made me annoyed. How I despise dealing with people like her… _

"Don't apologize to me," Lucas said, a light smile masking his annoyance. "Apologize to Maya."

"What?" Lyne asked in disbelief.

"You heard me," Lucas said. "What you said about your daughter was rude and uncalled for. You should apologize."

Lyne's mouth dropped open in surprise and indecision.

"I'm waiting," Lucas said, "And so is Maya."

Lucas could see the struggle on Lyne's face. She desperately wanted to avoid apologizing to her child, who she viewed as a lesser being. At the same time, she viewed Lucas as a greater being and felt pressured to obey his orders.

"I…" Lyne turned to Maya. "I am sorry." She turned back to face Lucas, looking uncomfortable. "May I be excused, your majesty?"

Lucas nodded and Lyne scuttled away, no doubt feeling shamed that she had to treat her own child as a human being.

"Looks like bullies aren't your only problem," Lucas noted.

Maya raised an eyebrow.

"My mother isn't _that _bad, Lucas."

"Small problems are still problems."

Maya cocked her head.

"I suppose…"

"In fact, I would attribute much of your current, underconfident state to your mother's influence. From what I see, Lyne sees you as something less than a full human, likely because of your youth. She views you as a troublemaker that doesn't deserve to have opinions of your own. As a result, she tries to project her narrow-minded beliefs onto you and takes personal offense when you fail to meet her expectations. This vicarious approach causes her to become bitter and take that bitterness out on you, putting you down to make herself feel better. I'm not saying that she is the only reason for your lack of self-esteem, or even that it's a pivotal factor, but it does play a role."

Maya blinked.

"You can tell _all that _from spending a minute with her?" she asked. "I didn't think of all of that myself… and I've been with her for 14 years!"

Lucas smiled.

"Well, I had a similar, albeit far milder, experience with my father. I don't fault him for it. He didn't realize that what he was doing hurt me. I didn't realize that what he was doing hurt me… thus the need to point out your situation. I don't think that either of you fully understood the effects of your mother's treatment."

"That's true…" Maya trailed off, looking up to the sky. "I feel like I had a clearer view of the situation when I was younger. I used to complain about how she treated me, but she responded by listing off all of the horrible experiences that she had as a child and told me that I was ungrateful."

"Which of course is a logical fallacy," Lucas picked up. "Just because her struggles were harsher doesn't mean that yours are insignificant!"

Maya sighed in relief, standing up a bit straighter.

"Yeah…" she said. "But I didn't fully realize that until right now. In the end… I just kind of gave in and tried to play her game. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me, Lucas. I have a clearer view of the situation now…"

_And there's the underlying strength, _Lucas thought. Maya had come such a long way already…

"It's my pleasure to help," Lucas said with a warm smile. "Now, don't feel pressured to say yes, but would you like to practice some more PSI?"

Maya's eyes lit up.

"Of course!" she exclaimed. "I would _love _to practice!"

Lucas' smile widened. If Maya could channel her enthusiasm for a positive cause, she had the potential to make the world a far better place.

_Just like you, Claus, _Lucas thought wistfully. _Let's hope that her story ends differently than yours…_


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, everyone! I'm sorry for the late hour, but it's only a little after 7 where I live. :(**

**If you've read my other writing (which you probably have if you're reading this), then you know that I like to talk about dark stuff. For this one, I was trying to avoid that... and I failed. :( In this chapter and the next, this story takes a dark dip. It's not as bad as City of Progress, though...**

**Meh, I'm tired right now, so I'm just going tor respond to reviews and call it good.**

**Review Responses:**

**A Fan:**** I know what you mean; I feel that while these chapters are as long as many of City of Progress', they contain less content. Still, I ****_really _****appreciate how you review my stories (this one especially as less people are into it), so thanks! :) And yeah, I find the number of meaningless apologies to be saddening as well. :( **

**PK Love Gamma:**** Thanks! :) I find that creating OCs isn't that difficult for me because I already do a lot of personality creation for my regular characters. Just look at Ness in City of Progress; I'm pretty sure that he didn't act like that in his actual game. xD**

* * *

Maya felt like she was burning alive.

The day was somewhat chilly, but Maya smoldered in the heat of her own body.

_What in the world is going on? _

When she had told her parents about her fever, they had dismissed it as common disease. But Maya had caught the flu before. She knew how it felt.

This was different.

Thus Maya found herself standing in front of Lucas' royal chambers.

_Just knock, _she told herself. _Lucas will understand. He won't get mad… _

But she couldn't stop a sense of terror from taking control of her whenever she moved her hand to knock on the door. Maya had always suffered from nervousness in situations that required her to initiate social contact. She had hoped that her amiable relationship with Lucas would reduce her nervousness, but it only made her _more _uneasy. Because Maya found someone that she enjoyed spending time with, she was more careful not to make mistakes. She didn't know what she would do if Lucas decided to abandon her, just like…

Maya cut her thought short as the door opened. Lucas stepped out and almost crashed into Maya.

"Sorry!" Lucas exclaimed, looking flustered.

Great. Now Lucas probably thought that she was some bumbling fool.

"No, it's my fault," Maya replied, her cheeks flushing bright red. "I… should have knocked."

"I don't see how me almost crashing into you is your fault," Lucas responded with a comforting smile. "Don't take the blame for things that you don't do."

"No, but…" Maya cut herself off, realizing that Lucas was probably right. "Okay. So… um…"

"Yes?"

"I… have something to ask you," Maya said awkwardly.

"Ask away."

"Well, I have this fever, and…" Maya trailed off, noticing the flash of understanding in Lucas' eyes. "Do you know what's happening?"

"Yup," Lucas replied. "PSI fever."

He pressed a hand to Maya's forehead, furrowing his eyebrows in thought.

"You're… warm," Lucas said.

_Um, yeah, that's what happens when someone has a fever. _

"I mean, your temperature is higher than it should be, even for a PSI fever," Lucas clarified with a smile, having guessed Maya's thoughts.

Maya's heart filled with fear.

"Does that mean…"

"That there's a problem?" Lucas finished. "I… don't think so. It probably means that you are about to learn a powerful PSI move. The only time that I could remember someone getting this hot was when Kumatora learned Starstorm and I learned PK Love Omega…"

"PK Love?"

"Oh, it's my special ability," Lucas said offhandedly. "PK Love allows the user to channel psionic power in its pure form. Too bad it can only be used to kill…"

"So if my fever is comparable to yours when you learned PK Love Omega, does that mean…"

"That you are about to learn a special ability?" Lucas finished. "Quite possibly."

Maya's heart filled with hopeful anticipation. If she could learn a unique PSI move, it would prove that she was a force to be reckoned with!

"That's wonder- oh!" Maya exclaimed. "It's getting hotter."

Now her whole body was covered in sticky sweat. Wonderful.

"I can tell," Lucas said sympathetically. "It means that you're almost there."

_I just need to hold out for a bit longer… _Maya tried to hide the discomfort that she was feeling and offered a smile.

"I can take it…" Maya cut herself off, feeling her body return to its natural, blissfully cool temperature. "It's gone!"

"Do you feel a sense of… gained knowledge_?_" Lucas asked.

Strangely enough, she did. It felt like she had just finished reading a book that ended with a powerful conclusion. She felt a sense of finality and progress at the same time, contradictory as it seemed.

It felt _awesome._

"Yeah…" Maya whispered. "And I can tell what the ability is, too. I learned… PK Distort."

Lucas' face hardened, causing a pang of fear that left Maya incapable of speech for a few moments.

"Is… something wrong?" Maya asked.

"Maya," Lucas replied uneasily, "That power… please don't ever use it."

_I can hear the pain in your voice… what happened to you, Lucas?_

"Huh? What does it do?"

"Have you ever heard of Tanetane mushrooms?" Lucas asked.

"No."

"Feel lucky that you haven't," Lucas said with a shudder.

_This is the first time that I've ever seen Lucas act like this… _

"What… do they do?" Maya asked meekly.

Lucas looked at her, and Maya could see horror written on his face. Something about that scared Maya more than it should have. Lucas was always so calm… what could possibly break his serenity like this?

"If you eat the mushrooms, they give you horrifying hallucinations. I remember… people that I love… trying to _kill _me…"

Lucas turned away, taking deep breaths.

"I… am sorry," Lucas whispered. "Not all of my scars have healed, and this one probably never will. But… you see the _pain _that those mushrooms can inflict. That ability… has the same effect. It assaults the target with hallucinations that will break the strongest person alive. I would not wish that fate upon my worst enemy. So please… don't use that ability."

"Okay," Maya promised, feeling mildly disappointed. This was her special ability, and she wasn't allowed to _use _it?

But looking into Lucas' haunted eyes, Maya knew better than to mope.

(ILH)

"Stupid, stupid, _stupid,_" Drake muttered.

_Why can he not let this incident drop? _Kristen wondered bitterly. _I mean, yeah, I made a mistake. But he doesn't have to keep beating me up for it…_

Kristen and Drake passed a mangled animal on the forest road. It possessed the body of a snake but the head of a hen. Some of its features had been twisted out of proportion as it lay dead on the road.

"What is _that?_" Kristen asked.

"It's a slitherhen," Drake replied curtly.

"A _slitherhen?_ Did a five year old come up with that name?"

Drake halted and looked at Kristen. Again, she couldn't see any emotion under Drake's white mask, but she could imagine what he must be feeling… and that imagination caused Kristen to cower in fear.

"You lived in New Pork and you haven't seen a chimera before?" Drake asked in disbelief.

"Nope," Kristen replied, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "What's a chimera?"

"They are organisms with body parts of other organisms. They almost always have a silly name. Porky authorized their creation… do you really not know this?"

"Yeah, and I think that most people who lived in New Pork don't," Kristen answered defensively.

_Well, either most people who have lived in New Pork haven't heard of these things or I'm completely oblivious… And why are they called "chimeras?" Wouldn't "sphinxes" make more sense?_

"Really…" Drake mused. "I just assumed that those that lived at the center of Porky's childish playground would have knowledge of his creations."

His tone implied that he had _not_ lived in New Pork.

"…Where did you grow up?" Kristen asked.

Drake looked at Kristen harshly, causing her to fidget with her gadgets.

"That is _none _of your business," Drake snapped.

_Do I sense pain hidden underneath that mask of his? _Kristen wondered.

"Anyways," Drake continued. "This slitherhen looked like it got beaten to death. That would indicate that our assailant is most likely Kumatora… She so _loves _to watch someone's life drain away as she smashes them with her fists."

"How do you know that about her?" Kristen wondered.

_And why are you so bitter? _

"Again, _stop _asking questions," Drake snapped. "If I had spoken in such a way to my master, he would have beaten me."

_Just because your master sucked doesn't mean that you have to put me through the same thing, _Kristen thought angrily.

"Now, let's…" Drake trailed off as a fire sounded in the distance.

"A fire… here?" Kristen asked.

"How _stupid _are you?" Drake asked harshly. "Kumatora is a PSI user! The fire indicates her nearby presence."

_Does it make you feel better to call me stupid? _Kristen wondered. _Do you get satisfaction when you put me down? _

He must. Otherwise, he wouldn't attack her with his words in the first place. Looking at his actions, Drake seemed like… a bully. He had always claimed that his harshness was intended to make Kristen stronger. But… that wasn't happening. When Drake insulted her, she didn't feel a desire to work harder.

She just wanted to quit.

"Let's go!" Drake shouted as he took off running towards the sound of the fire.

Kristen followed reluctantly and noticed that Drake was fiddling with a gadget that she didn't recognize on his left arm.

"What's… that?" Kristen huffed.

"How many times do I have to tell you to _stop asking questions?_" Drake demanded.

_Sheesh, _Kristen thought. _When I was on New Pork's streets, my curiosity kept me alive. And later, it gave me the drive that I needed to master computers and programming. You're dead wrong about this one, Drake! _

After a couple of minutes, Drake and Kristen entered a clearing and spotted Queen Kumatora. Kristen didn't know how she expected Kumatora to look, but she didn't expect the queen of New Tazmily to look like a teenager. Kumatora wore a blue sweatshirt and brown trousers, and her unmistakably pink hair stood out amongst the green foliage.

"Listen," Drake whispered. "Stay back. Kumatora could kill you in a second if she wanted to. She probably won't, but she may go overboard in her current state of agitation."

"But…"

"Stay back. That's an _order, _Kristen!"

Kristen huffed as Drake dashed towards Kumatora. The queen didn't even notice Drake, though. Because right then, a monstrous tarantula with a horse's hoofs and head bounded out into the clearing from the opposite bushes.

"PK Fire gamma!" Kumatora shouted.

A roaring flare sprouted from the earth, catching the horseantula mid dash and reducing it to ash. Kristen shuddered. Maybe Drake was right; she _did not _want to mess with someone with such power. Her instincts told her to run, but she had to make sure that Drake would be okay…

Kumatora cracked her knuckles triumphantly. Right then, she turned around and noticed Drake barreling towards her. Kumatora yelped and tried to jump out of the way, but she wasn't quick enough to dodge Drake's flying kick. With an "oomph," Kumatora fell to the ground.

"Who are you?" Kumatora asked irritably. "What the hel-"

She was cut off as Drake drove his metal leg into Kumatora's stomach.

_Ouch, that looked painful! _

Kumatora snarled and yanked on Drake's prosthetic leg, causing him to fall to the ground. The queen bounded to her feet and smashed Drake's chest with her right hand.

_Ouch, that also looked painful! _

Even though he was lying down, Drake managed to somehow drive his boot into Kumatora's face. As she reeled, Drake got up to his feet.

"Heh, not bad," Kumatora said with a pained grin. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to end this! PK Freeze Omega!"

_NO! _Kristen wanted to shout, but the word froze in her throat.

A thick layer of ice encased Drake completely. After a second, the ice shattered. After seeing what happened to the horsantula, Kristen expected Drake to shatter with the crystalline water, but instead he looked… completely fine?

"What?" Kumatora asked, equally confused.

Drake touched a button on the gadget on his arm, which made a unique sound that Kristen couldn't describe.

"A revitalizer!" Kumatora exclaimed. "But how… how did you get that, and how did you survive my PK Freeze?"

"So arrogant…" Drake said in contempt. "You PSI users think that you are the _only ones _that have power, don't you?"

"What?" Kumatora shouted. "No…"

"Oh yes, you do," Drake spat. "That's why it never occurred to you that _I _could know the psionic stall technique."

"Wait… WHAT? You can use psionic stall?"

_Um… what's psionic stall? _Kristen wondered.

Drake laughed mirthfully.

"Yes I can, little princess."

Kumatora's eyes turned murderous.

"Don't call me that!" she snarled.

"It's what you are," Drake replied. "You are a little girl who thinks that PSI gives you the right to do _anything. _Isn't that why you married Lucas? Didn't you both want to bring together what was left of PSI in this world and take complete control?"

"I married Lucas because he's a wonderful person," Kumatora whispered. "And I don't know who you are, but you _do not _get to insult him like that!"

_Funny, _Kristen thought. _She seems more annoyed at his criticism of Lucas than his criticism of her._

"Lucas is spineless and indecisive," Drake countered. "Why should I lie about who he is?"

_What problem does he have with Lucas? _Kristen wondered. _My issues with the boy king are of the opposite nature… _

"Less talk and more fighting," Kumatora said. "PK Thunder Omega!"

Four lighting bolts fell from the sky, each of them hitting Drake.

"Clever," he said, not seeming hurt at all. "Knowing that my metal leg will attract those lightning bolts."

"Shut up!" Kumatora shouted as she sprinted towards him.

Kumatora lashed out at Drake with a punch, who responded by snapping a kick at her chin. Both attacks hit, but Kumatora got the worse of the trade. Drake pressed a button on his revitalizer gadget which once again made the unique noise.

"Lifeup… Beta," Kumatora wheezed, looking far more healthy after the PSI ability.

"You are angry, Kumatora," Drake said. "That anger is your downfall. You have lost sight of how to win a battle. Throwing powerful PSI at me is not enough!"

"And you are bitter," Kumatora spat. "That bitterness is _your _downfall. PK Starstorm!"

Drake dashed through the onslaught of stars and used the revitalizer once more. As he neared Kumatora, Drake pressed another button on the gadget. A shrill noise sounded, causing Kristen to cover her ears reflexively.

She wasn't the only one; Kumatora gritted her teeth as she plugged her ears to block out the piercing noise. That turned out to be a vital mistake.

Drake reached Kumatora and grabbed both of her hands. He drove his knee into Kumatora's chin once, twice, three times.

"How is it, not being able to use your PSI now?" Drake asked.

Kumatora's eyes bulged with fear.

"Why… did you attack me in the first place?" she asked resentfully.

"To stop you from causing more harm than you already have."

"…What?"

Right as she said that, a horde of chimeras rushed through the clearing, ignoring Drake, Kumatora, and Kristen in their rampage. Kristen spotted all sorts of animal and plant hybrids… they all looked monumentally stupid.

"NO!" Drake roared, releasing Kumatora. "Don't you _see _what you have done?"

"Um… no?"

Kristen couldn't help but admire Kumatora. She was the only person that Kristen had ever seen stand up to Drake and not show terror.

"I… thought that you said that I would be left alone," a metallic voice rasped.

Kristen looked around. Nothing.

"Above you."

Kristen looked up and saw… a robot floating in the sky? It looked rather silly, with far too many brass horns jutting out from its body.

"Fassad!" Kumatora screamed in horror.

"Or should I say Locria?" Drake growled.

Kumatora looked at Drake in wonder.

"How…"

Fassad pointed at Drake.

"_You _lied."

"Wait, wait, _wait,_" Kumatora blurted out. "What's going on here? How are you still alive, Fassad? You should have disappeared when we pulled the last needle…"

_Okay, I officially have no clue as to what the heck is going on, _Kristen thought._ Chimeras… Fassad… none of it makes sense._

"I did," Fassad rasped, "but at that point, most of my body was mechanical anyway. I… filled in the human parts that I lost with more machinery."

_So he's a fully functioning robot that can feel emotions? _Kristen thought. _This is starting to seem like bad sci-fi literature._

"And since _you _broke your promise and disturbed me," Fassad continued, pointing at Drake. "I think that I'm going to attack your pathetic settlements. Time to put my little creations to use… Ah yes, my chimeras will be _so _glad to have humans to attack."

_So Fassad controls the chimeras? Drake must have known that by his reaction to the chimera stampede just a minute ago… but how?_

"Kumatora, _this _is why I tried to stop you!" Drake yelled.

"Well, I didn't _know,_" Kumatora replied. "Maybe you should have told me. You seem to know _so much _about me, after all."

"If I had, you would have rampaged through this place the second that I told you!" Drake countered. "You would have angered Fassad _all by yourself, _and we would have had the same situation on our hands!"

"I'm not a _moron,_" Kumatora replied. "I can understand the repercussions of starting a war. Now that I am queen and have the lives of my subjects to care about, I wouldn't have taken such a _stupid _risk."

Drake seemed taken aback.

"…Really?"

"Yes, really!" Kumatora yelled. "I'm not a moron and I'm not evil! Is that so hard to believe?"

Drake stood there, motionless as Fassad laughed.

"While you three stand there accomplishing _nothing, _I think that I'm going to prepare for a war," he rasped. "Good day."

Fassad's horns spewed fire (ew!) that propelled him away.

"Three?" Kumatora asked. "Who's the third person?"

Kristen nervously walked into the clearing, careful not to get too close to Drake.

"Oh, hello," Kumatora said irritably. "Did you enjoy the show?"

"I was told to hang back," Kristen replied, irises flashing with determination.

Kumatora shrugged.

"I guess that's fair. It's probably not a good idea to approach an angry PSI user unless you're this guy," she said, pointing to Drake with a grim smirk.

_What an odd woman, _Kristen thought.

"Are you two going to exchange gossip?" Drake demanded harshly. "We have a _war _on our hands! We are heading back to Ruldor to stock up, and then we march for New Tazmily. Let's go!"

"Okay, okay," Kumatora said with a roll of her eyes. "We're coming. Yelling doesn't make us want to hurry up any more than the threat of innocent people dying."

Drake shot Kumatora what must have been a murderous glare, but she didn't even seem to notice.

* * *

**So, after writing the Maya part of this chapter, I realized that my story had become a stereotype. :x I mean, whenever someone says "Don't use this power," does it ever end up _not_ being used? xD**

**Oh yeah, spoiler: PK Distort ends up being used.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Another day, another chapter...**

**Um, this chapter pushes the K+ rating a bit, and the next one does even more, but I still think that it qualifies. Tell me if you disagree! :)**

**And I've said this multiple times before, but this is going to be a pretty short fanfic. I would say that we're about halfway done after this chapter (accounting for the fact that later scenes will take more words than I expect now).**

**And thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! These stories take quite a bit of work and it can be difficult to continue writing at times, so your support really means a lot to me! :) I couldn't do it without you guys.**

**Review Responses:**

**A Fan:**** Hey, thanks for the criticism and plot holes that you noticed! :) The existence of the chimeras was rationalized but not explained well by me; I offer a little justification in this chapter. As for Fassad... I had to work quite a bit to find a reason for his existence. My plans for later chapters require him to be there, so taking him out would require a completely new plot... which may not be worth the time that it would take (I came up with most of this plot while writing City of Progress; it takes me a long time). And yeah, reading through that scene, I did use "snarled" too much. Thanks for the catch! I should update that sometime... maybe later. :)**

**PK Distort's name will remain the same for for now :) I agree that it's not a great name, so I'll try to think of others... and PK Acid Trip doesn't fit well with the mechanics of the ability. Thanks for the suggestion, though! :) And yeah, I remember the diary. It was super lame even if you did read it! DX It's like "okay, I wanna read about what you did when you got on that stinking train, but NOOOO." I feel like the difference in that case is that it's an interactive experience; so the diary is presented for the player choice, which doesn't really happen in a fanfic.**

**PK Love Gamma:**** Thanks! :) As for your suggestion, I already have the plot planned out, so you'll just have to see whether or not that happens. ;) Still, keep up the suggestions! It's difficult to mess with the plot too much, but I'll try to see what I can do!**

**Just A Fan:**** Thanks! :) I try to create my own characters that are based off of the characters in the game but still feel like my own creations, and I'm glad that you like them! :D **

**OrangeFlight of ShadowClan:**** Glad that you like Drake! :) There's nothing about him today (or next chapter, actually), but more on him is coming. ;) All right; I'll be looking forward to your review! :) **

**SMF:**** I appreciate that you reviewed, even though you didn't know what to say. :) It really means a lot to me. As for Drake being Duster... we'll see. ;)**

* * *

Maya stared out into the glistening sea on the placid beaches of Tazmily, feeling the breeze caress her cheek. She attuned herself to the rocking of the waves as the sun cloaked her in a warm light.

_I've always loved the beach. And it's even better that nobody's here… this way, I don't have to deal with all of the noise. _

Maya supposed that most people were working at this hour. Luckily for her, she had gotten all of her chores done and could spend the rest of the day doing whatever she wanted…

"Look who's here," Maya heard from behind her.

Maya turned around, and what she saw froze her in place out of terror.

Nyna was standing next to a large man, both of them looking at Maya. The man wore a grim look of disapproval while Nyna flashed a triumphant smirk.

"So this is the girl that gave you so much trouble?" the man asked Nyna.

Maya wanted to scream. She had been bullied for years and nobody cared, but now that she started fighting back, people were out to get her? It didn't seem fair.

"Yes…" Nyna said, her expression turning meek in the blink of an eye. "She… oh, I can't say it!"

Nyna buried her face in her hands. All in all, it was a quite convincing show.

"Did this girl hurt you?" the man asked, pointing to Maya.

"Yes, she…" tears came to Nyna's eyes.

_Geez, now I'm starting to wonder if she could be partially sincere. Either she can cry at will or what I said actually hurt her like this… _

"Now, now," the man said comfortingly, patting Nyna on the back. "You're okay now."

"I'm pretty sure you've always been okay, Nyna," Maya added bitterly.

It was the wrong thing to say.

"S-See?" Nyna stammered. "She _hurts _me and now she won't even admit it!"

_Well, I can't really blame that man for being fooled… Nyna is putting on quite the show._

"Look, Nyna," Maya said, trying not to let anger seep into her voice. "Would you _please _drop the act? I know that you're a strong person. If you have a problem with what I said, at least have the decency to deal with me personally instead of manipulating others."

"Me… acting… manipulating?" Nyna asked innocently. She turned to the man. "See what this girl does? She makes it seem like _I'm _the one who's at fault!"

_Well, you are, _Maya thought.

"Shh… I know," the man comforted. He turned to Maya, his iron eyes causing her to shrink back. "You should be _ashamed _of what you did to this girl."

Maya wanted to fly into a rage.

"Well _I'm_ not the one who has been a bully for three years!" Maya yelled.

"See?" Nyna asked quietly, her voice shaking. "She throws false accusations… why do you have to be so _mean, _Maya?"

Maya couldn't help but snarl at the hypocrisy.

"Please…" Nyna begged to the man. "Please make her stop."

The man nodded and took a step towards Maya. Nyna offered another cruel smirk when she knew that the man wasn't looking at her.

"Okay," Maya conceded. "I'm sorry, Nyna. I'll stop."

Nyna blinked. She clearly hadn't expected a false confession.

"So you admit… how you _hurt _me," Nyna said weakly, reacting quickly to the curveball. "You don't know how much pain I felt, Maya. You… need to feel some of the pain that I did."

_Huh, _Maya thought. _That was my rationale for verbally attacking Nyna in the first place… _

"All right," the man said. "Should I teach her a lesson?"

_Wait, what?_

"…Please do," Nyna begged. "I don't want to hurt her, but she has to feel what I did. Otherwise, she'll continue to disregard my pain…"

_Oh no! _

Maya turned around to run. She heard the footsteps of the man coming closer…

_I should use PSI! _A part of her mind said.

_No… the man won't hurt you that much, _the other part said. _You can take it. It's more important to keep your PSI hidden._

_Self-defense justifies desperate measures! _the first part argued.

_Maya, true strength comes from taking the pain and not hurting anyone else, _the second part said gravely.

As much as the prospect of being physically beaten _terrified _Maya, the opportunity to become stronger was just too sweet. Maya stopped and turned around. The man was running towards her.

"Why do you have to attack me?" Maya asked weakly.

"You hurt that girl with your words," the man replied as he raised his palm above her head. "You need to be disciplined."

Nyna followed behind, grinning evilly as her irises flashed with a vengeful zeal.

Maya closed her eyes.

"Nyna, if you have a problem with someone, proper courtesy dictates that you approach them directly," came an icy voice.

Maya opened her eyes to see Lucas standing next to her, his judging eyes causing Nyna to fidget.

"I… what?" Nyna asked, still pretending to be meek.

"Drop the act, Nyna," Lucas said. "Even if you do not believe that lying is inherently evil, can you deny that it is wrong to lie and manipulate for the purposes of petty revenge?"

"What do you think you're doing, kid?" the man asked Lucas, throwing in a harsh look for good measure.

"Hmm… I do not recognize you," Lucas said. "What is your name?"

"Ardon."

_What kind of name is that? _Maya wondered. _Although… my mother has quite the unusual name as well. _

"Well, Ardon, to answer your question, I aim to prevent you from making a mistake. I believe that you have chosen the wrong side."

"What do you know about these girls, kid?" Ardon asked.

"More than you," Lucas replied with a smile. "Can you deny that?"

Ardon scratched his head. He didn't really seem to be the thinking type.

"Exactly," Lucas continued, not waiting for a response. "I know both of these people personally. And yes, I _have _paid attention to you, Nyna," Lucas added, noting her shocked expression with a smile. "That is how I know that Ardon here has been tricked."

"Tricked?" Ardon asked. "How?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Lucas asked with a strained sigh. "Nyna was lying."

"No…" Ardon denied. "She couldn't be. She's just a little girl."

"I have found that neither size nor gender rule out the possibility of foul play in an individual."

"But… she came up to me asking for help. I couldn't just say _no!_" Ardon exclaimed.

"Peace," Lucas said. "You don't have to defend yourself. Nobody is going to lock you up."

Ardon laughed.

"Well, there's no way that you could capture me even if you wanted to, _kid_."

Lucas raised an eyebrow.

"No!" Nyna yelled. "Ardon, don't listen to him! He's lying too. He teamed up with her to hurt me…" Nyna slapped a hand over her mouth in shock.

"Yes, it can be difficult to remember that I am the king of New Tazmily, yes?" Lucas asked with a light smile. "It makes it _far _easier to see the true personalities of my subjects. Trying to pin the blame on the king…" Lucas chuckled.

_I wish that I could be as confident as Lucas, _Maya thought. _I could solve so many problems…_

"Wait, you're the _king?_" Ardon exclaimed in disbelief, his hostile face turning servile in an instant. "I am _so _sorry, your majesty."

"I don't really care, honestly," Lucas replied. "At least you were sincere in your disrespect."

He looked at Nyna with a bloodless smile.

"I… err…" Nyna found no excuse for herself as she shrunk backwards.

Maya would never admit it, but seeing Nyna cower in fear of Lucas felt _awesome. _

"Goodbye," Nyna announced and ran away.

"So," Lucas said to Ardon. "Didn't you say something along the lines of 'bad children need to be disciplined?' I think that we have our perfect candidate for such treatment."

"Err… yes, I'll have some hard words for her," Ardon said and took off after Nyna.

"Hard words?" Maya scoffed. "He was about to physically _beat _me. Sheesh." She turned to Lucas. "Thanks for saving me."

"More like saving them," Lucas replied. "With your PSI… you would have easily been able to take them. Thank you for refraining from using your powers even when the situation seemed dire."

Maya beamed at Lucas' compliment.

"I do try to take your advice seriously!" she exclaimed. "I was lucky that you showed up in the nick of time, huh?"

"Actually…" Lucas said, looking uncomfortable. "I actually put some tracking PSI on you yesterday. It tells me whenever you feel scared."

"Huh, that's strange," Maya said, "Because I was scared way before the man started chasing me…" Maya trailed off, noticing Lucas' expression of embarrassment. "You did get a reading earlier, didn't you? You came and waited until you had to intervene in order to see if I would use PSI when I felt threatened."

Lucas coughed.

Maya couldn't help but feel betrayed. Lucas was there the whole time, and he had just _waited? _

"I… am sorry," Lucas said, "But I had to see how strong you were. If it makes you feel any better, you acted admirably in that situation."

That did make her feel a bit better, although she still felt angry.

"Still…" Lucas continued. "I feel that this confrontation could have been avoided in the first place."

"What do you mean?" Maya asked sharply.

"You said some mean things to Nyna, didn't you?" Lucas asked.

"Yes…" Maya replied. "And I wasn't wrong to do so."

Maya could tell from his face that Lucas didn't agree.

"Maya, it's not right to say mean things to anyone."

"She needed to know how I felt!" Maya exclaimed.

"And how did that go?" Lucas asked. "When she attacked you today, do you think that she was thinking 'oh, Maya acted really mean to me, so the pain that I feel makes me want to reevaluate how I treat other people?' Because I don't."

"Are you honestly _faulting _me for standing up to a bully?" Maya asked in disbelief.

"Not for standing up…"

"Okay!" Maya yelled. "Maybe I said some mean things. But Nyna _deserved _it, Lucas. Why in the world are you criticizing _me _when Nyna does worse every day of her life? You even said that you had paid attention to her!"

"Just because what she does is worse doesn't mean that what you do is right."

"Shut up!" Maya yelled, anger overwhelming caution. "You don't know how it feels to be bullied _every day of your life!_"

Lucas stiffened.

"I don't know, do I?" he asked, his voice dangerously quiet. "I don't know how it feels to always feel anxious because around every corner, there could be someone ready to make fun of you? I don't know how that anxiety turns to nausea and your body has to make itself _physically sick _in order to avoid social confrontation? Do _I _not know that, Maya?"

"I…"

"Or maybe I don't know how it feels when you know that the people who insult you don't mean any harm, but they _hurt _you in ways that you will never be able to say. Is that it? Is it that I don't know the way that you want to tell someone that what they're doing is tearing you apart, but if you do, you'll be seen as a crybaby? Is it that I don't know how it feels when you lock yourself in a room for hours, feeling rage when the people that you love ask if there's anything that they can do to help because _they're _the ones causing the pain in the first place?"

"Lucas…"

"Or maybe I don't know how you start to believe what they say. After all, if _everyone _agrees, it's basically a fact, right? That makes you think that you _are _a worthless piece of trash and that maybe you don't even deserve to live. Have you ever held up a knife to your throat and wondered what it would be like to… not exist?"

Maya gulped. She had done that… more than once.

"Is it that I don't understand how the destruction of your self-image affects your every move? That every time you look into the mirror, you realize that you're _not good enough? _That whenever you catch yourself doing something wrong, you are so ashamed that you have to _hurt _yourself in order to deal with your self-hatred? That you want someone, anyone to sympathize with the way that you hate yourself and all that you get are condescending looks? WHAT PART OF THAT DO I NOT UNDERSTAND, MAYA?"

_Oh no… _Maya thought. _What have I done?_

Lucas' face softened. He seemed as horrified as she was.

"Maya… I'm sorry," he said gently. "I didn't mean to yell."

Lucas turned away.

"Maybe you're right," he continued. "Maybe your way is better. I feel that I expected so much of you because I didn't want you to end up like I did… but maybe I just ended up contributing to your pain. After all, supporting other people doesn't come naturally to me. I guess… that you're better without me."

"No!" Maya yelled. "Please… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you like that…"

Lucas turned his head around to look at Maya out of the corner of his pained eye.

"I know that you didn't mean to hurt me," Lucas muttered. "This isn't your fault. Thank you for showing me… that I shouldn't try to drag down innocent people with me."

"No!" Maya yelled helplessly.

"PK Teleport Gamma," Lucas whispered.

Maya ran forward, but Lucas had already disappeared.

_No! _Maya thought. _I… I… Lucas… WHYYYYY?_

* * *

Lucas appeared in the silent forest to the east. He wanted to smash something.

_Why am I so stupid? _he thought.

_See, this is what happens when you let someone get close to you… _A part of his mind whispered._ They end up hurting you. Mother and Claus hurt you when they died. This is no different._

_No, _Lucas thought. _This isn't about me! This is about Maya… she had such a bright future ahead of her… and now this. It's ALL MY FAULT! _

Lucas punched the dirt ground in the place where only trees could judge. He remembered how Claus would sometimes have to take his anger out by hitting things. More and more, Lucas was starting to understand his dead brother…

_I blamed her for my painful past… _Lucas thought. _I implied that it was her fault that I hurt as much as I did! That was the absolute worst thing that I could have done! _

When Lucas had seen Maya, his first instinct had been to shelter her. He wanted to protect her and let her flourish in a safe environment. But… that hadn't been possible, not after everything that she had already experienced. So Lucas had done something terrible.

He had tried to project his own morals onto her.

_After all of this time, I am a hypocrite! _he thought. _I despise people who live vicariously through others… but I am one of them! I wanted Maya not to have to know the pain that I did… even though she has her own woes and troubles. I wanted her successes to cover up my mistakes. I am no better than Lyne! _

And then the way that he had left, not even accepting her apology… he knew that would make Maya feel even worse about herself, and for something that wasn't even her fault!

Lucas buried his face in his hands. Could he do _anything _right?

_I saved the world, _Lucas thought weakly. _Doesn't that count for something?_

_No, _he answered. _Saving the world to leave it shattered as I have done is worth nothing._

_Nothing…._

_Nothing…_

_I am nothing…_

Lucas awoke from his immersion in his self-pity when he heard something that sounded like a herd of animals. He jumped to his feet and listened carefully. It seemed that there were different kinds of animals, and they were coming closer.

At that moment, a cow with a snake's head broke came into view a ways down the forest road.

_A cattlesnake… _Lucas thought. _Those things are supposed to be gone! _But then again, all of New Pork's technology was supposed to have been destroyed, and that hadn't happened.

Lucas soon realized that it wasn't alone. Hundreds of other chimeras followed behind in a blind stampede.

_Where are they going? _Lucas wondered.

But did he really have to ask? There was only one place where they _could _go by using this road.

And that was New Tazmily.

_Oh no, _Lucas thought, feeling his heart sink like a rock.


	8. Chapter 8

**Well, it's Father's Day today! ...At least it is here in America; I don't know about other countries.**

**So... these chapters are starting to have less and less content with the same amount of words (and they didn't have a whole lot of content per chapter to begin with). This one is exclusively Maya POV. I'm thinking about making longer chapters... but that would take longer, obviously. I'll see how it goes, I guess. :)**

**Oh, and this chapter has a weird/vague ending. You know the Lucas/Voice thing in City of Progress? This is just as weird. Don't worry though, I will explain all next chapter. :) And also, because of this chapter, I decided to change the rating to T. It's... not that bad, honestly (when compared to City of Progress, at least), but I wouldn't feel comfortable with a 9 year old reading it. Well, at least it gives Kumatora license to swear more, right...? I dunno if that's a good thing, but it may happen. ;)**

**I can't actually think of anything else to say, so onto answering reviews!**

**Review Responses:**

**PK Love Gamma:**** Thanks! :) I know what you mean about loving a passage but feeling super sad at the same time. I'm glad that I was able to achieve that effect! And hey, if you want to make fanfiction, go for it! :) Although I do think that it's a bit funny that you come up with great ideas while you're half-asleep. ;) **

**SMF:**** Thanks! I agree with you about the Lucas thing. :) I'm just picturing how Ness from City of Progress would react to seeing that scene last chapter... xD And no, Maya doesn't have outside entities in her mind. :) Although, in this chapter, Maya does talk with a voice in her head... but it's all internal. **

**A Fan:**** Yup, Lucas running away was not a good choice. :( And as you'll see, you are very right about both of them feeling like it is their fault. Oh, I totally forgot about the "SMAAAAASH!" thing. :x Oops. And as for Nyna, there are many reasons why she would go to her parents first, and maybe she did, but there could also be reasons why she wouldn't want to go to them. I'm going to leave this one ambiguous. :)**

* * *

Maya sat in one of the basements of Osohe Castle, wondering how she could have possibly been so _stupid. _

_Once again, I find someone wonderful who cares about me. And once again, that person leaves me. The difference is that this time, I know that it's my fault. _

Lucas… he was perfect. Kind, understanding, supportive… and Maya had accepted his energy, never giving anything back, only to betray him and cause him more pain. That made Maya want to lash out at the world around her.

_Of course he understood how I felt! _Maya thought. _He's Lucas! He understands everything! After one conversation with my mother, he knew more about her than I did. To even think that he didn't know what I felt… it makes me want to laugh and weep at the same time._

So Maya did. She laughed at how pathetic she was and cried at how much she had lost.

_Selfish, selfish… _Maya chided herself. _How much I have lost? That doesn't matter. This isn't about me; this HAS NEVER BEEN about me! Lucas was the one who took me in and taught me PSI. Lucas was the one who taught me to control my bitterness. And what did I do to him? I repaid his trust with pain! Why am I crying about my misfortune? It's no more than I deserve for what I did. _

Maya went over what had happened in her head for the tenth time. She had said some things to Nyna that she probably shouldn't have. Maya had wanted to teach Nyna a lesson, but the raven-haired devil didn't take defeat as a learning experience. Nyna's failure infuriated her to the point that she was willing to do _anything _to hurt Maya. She was obviously wrong to respond that way, but Maya should have known that throwing blunted words at Nyna's teeth would have repercussions.

And Lucas had even said that! He acknowledged that Nyna had been wrong to react acutely to Maya's words, but he told her that employing hate against her enemies would only make them more vengeful. To truly erase her problems… Maya had to stand up for herself _without _putting her attacker down. She realized that now, but she hated herself for not accepting it earlier. Why couldn't she have just _listened _to Lucas instead of making a complete fool of herself?

So Maya had made a mistake in employing the sword instead of the shield against Nyna, which was fine. What _wasn't _fine was her stubbornness, her inability to admit that she was wrong in front of a far wiser individual.

_Why do I have to be so sensitive? _Maya wondered. _If I could just take advice as it is instead of viewing it as an attack, I never would have made Lucas mad. Maybe then… everything would still be okay… _that fantasy made Maya's heart ache.

That brought Maya to her next conclusion. Once again, things were _not _okay, and they might never be again. Maya knew how it felt to _hurt, _and she couldn't believe that she had possibly inflicted pain on someone so wonderful…

Maya wanted to go up to Lucas and beg for forgiveness, but the thought of such a prospect made her nauseous.

_What if I try to apologize and he glares at me? What if he ignores me and people laugh at me while I make a fool of myself? What if he refuses to see me in the first place?_

_What if he hurts me?_

Maya wanted to believe that Lucas would never hurt her, but she couldn't say for sure in her addled state. After all, Lucas had been _angry, _angrier than Maya had ever seen him before.

_And why shouldn't he hurt me? _Maya thought. _Maybe that would make him feel better. He deserves some relief… and I deserve to be hurt. Shouldn't I go up to him and beg to be beaten?_

Maya would honestly have done that if she weren't so afraid.

_I can't take it! _Maya thought. _I'm… such a horrible person. _

The shame that she felt drowned out all else. In that moment, Maya would have done _anything _to get rid of her infamy.

_I… have to hurt myself, _Maya realized.

Yes… that would be a way to make herself feel better. If she suffered for her crimes, then she could feel a bit better about committing them, right?

Maya looked at her left arm in wonder. Flesh… could feel pain. Her heart rate increased as she saw a window of escape from her shame. All that she had to do was cause physical pain to herself. Easy.

Giddy with excitement, Maya started scratching her left arm. Luckily, her nails were quite long, making it easy to dig in. Every instance of agony urged Maya to keep going. After a few minutes, Maya's arm throbbed with a raw pain. She let a smile come to her lips…

And then the shame returned.

_You're not hurting yourself enough, _a cruel voice in her head said. _Compared to what you did to Lucas, you're letting yourself walk away with just a scratch._

_What… do I do? _Maya wondered.

_Well, there's all of this wonderful stone around you, _the voice replied. _Maybe you should bash your head against a wall…_

Maya cringed. She imagined herself slamming her head into the stone wall and flinched at all of the _pain _that she would feel.

_Stop being a sissy, _the voice said. _You want to hurt yourself… right? _

Maya did, but something about smashing her head against a stone wall terrified her.

_Do it, _the voice demanded.

Tears came to Maya's eyes as she brought her head up to a wall. She drew it back, prepared to bash it against the stone.

Suddenly, Maya felt an overwhelming urge to barf.

_NO! _Maya thought. _I… can't give up now!_

It was too late. Maya lost control of herself as she threw up everything that was in her stomach. Throwing up felt _horrible… _but a sweet relief coated the bile, relief that she stopped herself from hurting her head.

_I'm so WEAK! _Maya thought. _I can't… even… hurt myself without my body taking over… is there nothing that I can do? _

Maya shivered as she thought of an idea. Yes… it would work. She wouldn't get physically sick at the prospect of it, and it would hurt _so much more _than bashing her head against a wall. Her only hesitation is that it went against something that Lucas had said, but that didn't matter right now.

Maya raised her hands to the sky as she prepared to torture herself. A tear came to each of her eyes. That was good. Sadness could overpower shame.

Maya hesitated.

_Just do it! _she told herself. _You deserve to hurt… and this will hurt you badly._

Maya took a deep breath to calm herself.

"PK Distort," she whispered, targeting herself with the ability.

The world around her started to flash neon colors as Maya let her tears flow freely.

* * *

Maya didn't know where she was.

_This… isn't real, _she thought, remembering that PK Distort gave the recipient hallucinations.

A wasp the size of a car came out of nowhere and flew over her head.

_Oh… oh my. _

Maya screamed and tried to run away from the gargantuan insect. The wasp buzzed as loud as one of New Pork's helicopters, causing Maya to cover her ears.

Maya continued running, not able to notice her surroundings as terror pulled her body's strings.

A dead end.

_No! _Maya thought as she found herself somehow trapped in an ethereal box with the insect. _No… please…_

The wasp's stinger jutted out from its abdomen. It was the size of a sword.

_No… _

The wasp buzzed, its stain-glass wings becoming a blur as they created enough wind to blow Maya back to the edge of the box.

_Please…_

The wasp slowly moved its stinger closer to Maya.

_I can't take this! _

Maya struggled and squirmed as the stinger came closer still. She couldn't take her eyes off of it. Every second, she imagined how painful it would feel, going in…

Maya closed her eyes as the stinger came closer still.

_Please… _Maya thought. _Please just let it be over!_

The stinger stabbed Maya. She screamed as her vision went red, allowing her to see nothing but agony.

After what felt like hours, the pain disappeared. Maya opened her eyes to find that the wasp had disappeared. She looked at her body and found that it was still intact, without any mark of a sword-like stinger entering it.

Maya jumped to her feet. She knew that more horrors were coming, but for now, she jumped for joy. She had faced something that _terrified _her, something that she had always feared would happen, and it had hurt more than anything else in her life.

But she was still alive.

Maya's satisfaction was short lived, however. No sooner had she hopped to her feet then she heard scornful laughter. Her reflex reaction was to cover her ears and shrink back.

Spinning around her, she could see people pointing, mocking, _laughing. _

_Why are you just standing there?_

_Why don't you do anything?_

_Why aren't you good enough?_

"Shut up!" Maya screamed out loud. "Shut up! This isn't real… this is just a hallucination."

_We're not real?_

_That's just an excuse for rejecting the words that you know are true._

People walked towards her from all directions, cruel smiles painted on each of their zealous faces.

_You've never done anything right._

_Nobody likes you._

_You only cause pain._

_You should kill yourself._

Maya took deep breaths, trying to ward off the words. But how could she possibly fight off the words of so many?

_Kill yourself…_

_Kill…_

"Stop!" Maya shouted. "If I kill myself, it will be because _I _want to!"

_Tell us truthfully that our words are lies. _

Maya halted. She mulled over everything that they had said and found that it was… all true! She had never done anything right, nobody liked her, and she always just sat there, unable to stand up for herself.

Did that mean that she should kill herself?

"No…" Maya said. "No… I can't kill myself…"

_But why?_

_Nobody will care._

_If they do care, they'll be glad._

Maya couldn't truthfully deny those words, either.

_So why do you hang onto your pitiful existence?_

Maya thought for a minute.

"I live because I fear death."

The voices around her laughed as children surrounded Maya, squishing her and trapping her and suffocating her…

_So once again, you are a coward._

Maya sighed. It was true.

"Maybe if I live, I won't be a coward in the future," Maya said wistfully as she struggled to overcome the horror of being trapped in a mob of children. "Yes, I am worthless. But that doesn't mean that I always have to be!"

Maya shoved her way through the mob, running away from the children.

_Can't even deal with children._

_Too scared to face us._

_Can't face the truth._

"Yes," Maya whispered. "But that is what I hope to change about myself."

Maya kept running until the children became nothing but a bad memory.

_Yes! _Maya thought. _I escaped my second challenge. Now, how long does this ability last…?_

A person appeared right in front of Maya with a weary sigh. He wore a blue shirt, red pants, and had a light mustache.

"Duster!" Maya exclaimed in horror. "What are… you doing here?"

_Oh, wait, _Maya thought. _This is just a hallucination._

Sometimes, it was hard to remember. These visions just seemed so _real. _

"I am here to tell you what you have done," Duster said with weary sorrow ruling his voice.

A chill went down Maya's spine. What she had done… he didn't mean…

"Yes," Duster said, his eyes boring holes into Maya's heart. "I left New Tazmily because of _you!_"

"No…" Maya whispered. "I… didn't do anything wrong."

Duster laughed scornfully.

"Can you honestly say that with a straight face?" he asked. "That you have done _nothing wrong?_"

"Please…" Maya whispered. "Don't hurt me like this."

Duster's mouth warped to create a cruel sneer.

"Don't hurt _you?_" He asked. "That's all that you ever think about, isn't it? Have you ever considered that people other than you can feel pain, Maya? Well, have you?"

"Please…"

"Bah!" Duster exclaimed. "Worthless! Not only do you sap some of society's precious resources, but you turn around and betray those who support you! And then all that you complain about is _your _pain, not anyone else's."

"Stop…"

"Why should I?" Duster demanded. "Why should I give you more lies?"

"Lies…?"

"When I told you that you had a chance to grow. When I told you that you were a wonderful person under your nervous coating. Those were lies, Maya. The truth is that you are a leech on society and you _will always be one!_"

Those words hurt so much more coming from someone that had comforted her earlier.

"No…" Maya moaned. "Your comforting words were sincere. They _have _to be."

"If you really were worth something, then why did you anger Lucas, the most understanding person in New Tazmily? It takes a certain level of _pathetic _to do that, Maya. Not even Nyna could get Lucas to break his calm, but you did. This is all _your _fault! Stop hiding from the truth!"

Maya shuddered. Her worst fears were coming to life and there was nothing that she could do!

_Basic reasoning…_

What?

_Most verbal bullies can't stand up to basic reasoning._

Those were Lucas' words… did Maya still have the right to take his advice after what she had done to him? She looked at Duster's icy eyes and realized that she didn't have a choice.

"Nyna is a worse person than I am," Maya said. "Yes, I made some mistakes, but Nyna is outright vicious. At least I faltered during the heat of the moment rather than making it a malicious habit."

"If you are better than Nyna, why did you make Lucas angry?" Duster demanded.

"It's because… he liked me," Maya realized out loud. "He knew to expect poison spewing out of Nyna's mouth, but he trusted me. That's why I… hurt him so much."

"And doesn't that make you feel guilty?" Duster demanded.

"Yes, and that's why I used PK Distort on myself," Maya countered. "And to be honest, I probably shouldn't have. I should have tried to work it out with Lucas before I punish myself."

Duster snorted.

"You think that _you _deserve less pain, after what you have done?"

"I made mistakes, and I am ready to make amends!" Maya shouted. "Isn't that enough?"

"No," Duster whispered. "Nothing that you do will _ever _be enough."

"I'm tired of saying words that you don't listen to," Maya said icily. "So just tell me one thing, Duster. Why do you blame me for leaving New Tazmily?"

Duster shot her a glare.

"Dealing with you was exhausting. That alone was a reason enough for me to leave."

Maya raised an eyebrow to cover the pain that entered her heart.

"You could have just abandoned me and stayed in New Tazmily. Nobody would have stopped you."

"Oh yeah, now this is _my _fault," Duster said.

"Well, your reasons don't make sense!" Maya exclaimed. "You can't guilt trip your way through this one, Duster. Say something that makes sense if you're going to blame me!"

Duster reeled.

"Well… you…"

"You didn't leave because of me, did you?" Maya demanded.

"I did!"

"Then tell me why!"

"…"

"Exactly. This is _not my problem, _Duster. I don't know why you left, but it was _your _choice and yours alone. Don't blame your faults on me!"

"Why you little…" Duster snarled. "After all that I've done for you, how can you do this to me?"

"Just because you supported me doesn't mean that your arguments make any sort of sense!" Maya countered, pushing away her shame. "I will be more than willing to take the blame if you can establish that your departure was my fault. But until then, trying to guilt trip me WILL NOT WORK!"

Duster took a step back.

"You… leave me no choice. I will have to teach you a lesson!"

Duster adopted a combat pose.

"I know now that you are not Duster," Maya said. "He would never threaten me like this. Goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Duster laughed. "You cannot escape, Maya!"

"There is a way."

"Wha…"

"PK Distort!" Maya yelled.

When she used the PSI move this time, she felt… connected, somehow. It was a strange sensation.

The world warped out of existence. Maya appeared seconds later in a field of sunflowers. Above, the sun shone brilliantly. The temperature was perfect, not too hot and not too cold. That was strange. Wasn't the ability supposed to show something that she feared?

"That was quicker than I expected. Congrats."

_Who said that? _

Maya turned around to see a young boy nonchalantly floating in air.

_What sort of hallucination is this…?_

"Welcome to the psionic realm," the boy said, floating over. "Truly, the fact that you made it here on your second attempt without instruction is nothing short of _phenomenal._" He extended a hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Maya. The name's Claus."


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, everyone! :)**

**This one is pretty short in terms of both word count and content (sorry! D:). It also happens to be rather explanatory, so I hope that doesn't bother anyone...**

**Anyways, I hope that you like the mechanics of the psionic realm, because it isn't going away after this story. Tbh, I wasn't planning on introducing the concept until my next ****Mother**** story, but I feel that it fits well. :)**

**And I know that it doesn't seem like it, but this story is starting to approach the climax. I'm at somewhat of an impasse because I feel that my climax is too short/uneventful, but at the same time I don't want to stuff it with meaningless fluff. D:**

**As always (even if I don't say it), reviews mean a ****_lot _****to me. Thanks for your support, everyone! :D**

**Review Responses:**

**PK Love Gamma:**** I'm sorry. :( If it makes you feel better, I felt like I was gonna hurl too when I wrote this chapter. The thing about Maya's body barfing to prevent her from doing something destructive comes from personal experience, so I feel both her pain and yours. :(**

**A Fan:**** I guess that I shouldn't be surprised that you picked up on the difference between PK Distort's hallucination and the Tanetane mushroom ones. I considered that, but it would have been awkward to put a bunch of monsters there for no reason (and it would be even more awkward to make them disappear during this chapter where Maya talks with Claus a bunch). So... I guess they're just different. Lame excuse, I know. D:**

**This wasn't explicitly stated, but in my mind Maya lives in Osohe Castle. Even if she didn't, her parents work there, so she has a pretty good reason for being familiar with the place. And hey, don't feel sorry about the lack of content in your review! After all, I didn't give you much story content to work with. ;)**

**OrangeFlight of ShadowClan:**** Thanks for reviewing! :D I'm glad that you liked these past two chapters (and the Claus plot twist; that one even took me by surprise when I wrote it xD). And thanks for the translation. xD I had no clue what you meant (that's what I get for taking French, I guess...). And don't worry, I sometimes do that by choice. Like in my bonus chapter, Ana thought "deja entendu [I can't figure out how to add accent marks D:]," which means "already heard," rather than "deja vu," which means "already seen."**

**And thanks for your review on City of Progress! Personally, that chapter was one of my favorite chapters (along with Paula's religion discussion with Lucas and the last Ana flashback/consequences), so it's wonderful to see that other people like it too! :D Not beating yourself up was something that I realized the importance of only recently, so I wanted to get that out through my writing. And I like Ana's character way too much for my own good. xD Picking apart her traits and finding the causes was one of the funnest (most fun?) parts of writing City of Progress. Because I look at seven year old Ana and 14 year old Ana and can hardly believe that they are the same person! :x And now I'm rambling. xD Sorry!**

**Just a Fan: Aw, thanks! :D That really means a lot to me. And I'm glad that you can connect with my characters! ...And I say the phrase "I'm glad" way too much in my ANs. xD Still, it's good that I have a lot to be glad about, right? ;) **

* * *

"Okay, Claus," Maya announced, looking around at her serene surroundings in wonder. "Where in the world am I?"

Claus bobbed up and down playfully, never quite touching the bed of sunflowers below.

"You used PK Distort, right? This is an illusion."

"Oh… so none of this is real?"

"Illusions are not always false, Maya," Claus responded cryptically. "Sometimes, lies lead the way to the truth."

"Um… okay…"

Claus laughed.

"I'm sorry," he said with a contagious smile that erased all of the negative impressions that Maya had of him. "I've just always wanted to say something like that!"

Maya couldn't help but laugh.

"It is true, though," Claus continued. "This world is a complete illusion… that happens to be the _exact same _as the view on another plane of existence. Crazy, huh?"

Maya blinked.

"Another… plane of existence?"

"Yeah," Claus replied. "You and everyone that you know exists on the physical plane. It's the world that you know, the world where you can see, smell, taste, touch, operate vestibular functions… all of that."

"Vestibular functions?" Maya asked.

"You know, your sense of balance. I would have you demonstrate, but I think that because you _see _this plane rather than _exist _in it, your vestibular system should still work."

"That's good," Maya replied, "Because I'm already kind of a klutz. I can only imagine how much more often I would trip and make a fool of myself…"

"Yeah," Claus said sympathetically. "Walking is tough here. That's why most people tend to float around."

_I guess that makes sense._

"So, Claus…"

"Yeah?"

"What _is _this place?"

"Oh!" Claus exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "Sorry! I got sidetracked. Happens when I get a visitor… and there I'm doing it again! Basically, the world that you see is the psionic realm. Everyone, dead or alive, subsists in this plane. Here… we exist as our minds."

"What?" Maya asked. "Nothing that you say makes sense, Claus."

Another grin broke onto Claus' face.

_Man, talk about cheerfully implacable…_

"So sorry, Maya! But… I do not think that I can elaborate much more. In this realm, our physical traits don't matter. Instead, we exist as an… energy that makes up our mind. Does that make sense at all?"

"Kind of… So thought is powered from this realm?" Maya asked.

"Nah," Claus replied. "The physical realm takes care of that. Apparently, the body does all of that crap by itself, which I think is pretty cool. But PSI _does _come from this plane."

"Oh!" Maya exclaimed.

That… actually made sense! After all, sheer mental power alone couldn't cause a fiery explosion or heal someone else's wounds.

"People that use PSI have… a high affinity with this plane," Claus explained. "I don't really understand it myself. Apparently, you're either born with that affinity or you're not."

"So by using PSI… we tap into this plane's power?" Maya asked.

"Yes!" Claus exclaimed excitedly. "Whenever we formulate a thought, some energy gets stored in this plane of existence. Psionics is the art of using that energy to impact the physical world."

"So… either I have a special power that allows me to interact with another plane of existence, or this hallucination is crafting some sort of elaborate lie."

"Yup, pretty much," Claus replied with a grin. "After all, _I _wouldn't know if I were a figment of your imagination."

Something about Claus' manner seemed so… innocent. Maya couldn't help but smile along.

"So," Maya started nonchalantly. "Is there any reason why you look like Lucas?"

"Biology!" Claus responded, his grin refusing to drop from his face.

Maya raised his eyebrow.

"Do you mean that you're genetically related or that your similarity is the result of some other biological property?"

"We're related," Claus clarified. "I'm his brother!"

_Oh, right, _Maya thought. _Lucas said that he had a brother… but didn't he imply that his brother had passed away?_

"You must be quite a bit younger than Lucas," Maya observed.

"Nah," Claus responded. "We're the same age. You see, this physical existence is a result of my mindset. So… I still look the same age as I did when I died."

"Wait," Maya said. "You _died?_"

"Yeah," Claus answered wistfully. "It wasn't fun, but I guess that dying rarely is."

"You're _dead?_"

"Umm… yeah," Claus replied. "When you die, you become dead. That's what happens."

"But if you're dead, then how are you talking to me?"

"Didn't I say that all people, dead or alive, exist in the psionic realm?" Claus offered. "Although… finding a dead person lingering around here is somewhat of an anomaly. Most of us post-life entities spend our time chilling out in the sky. In even rarer cases, we decide to make ourselves visible to you living folks… which is highly frowned upon. I'm pretty sure that my mother appeared multiple times, though… either that, or I went insane and started hearing her voice."

"Wait… so does this mean that the cognitive remains that persist in this dimension… is our afterlife?" Maya asked.

"Not necessarily," Claus replied. "After all, if there's a psionic dimension, who's to say that there aren't others? Maybe we do have souls… and they exist in a spiritual plane. In which case, there's another me that embodies my spirit instead of my mind. Cool, huh?"

"More like creepy," Maya replied with a shiver.

Claus laughed.

"Yeah, it's a bit weird at first… but you get used to it after a while."

"Strange… on a different note, I still am confused in some aspects," Maya said. "Would you mind clarifying some things for me?"

"Sure!" Claus replied. "It's been five years since I've conversed with someone who's alive! I'd be happy to talk for as long as you like."

"Okay… I can see why it is technically possible for PK Distort to show me the view on another plane of existence, but the possibility seems infinitely small. Why do you claim that this hallucination shows the truth when it is so easy for it to show lies?"

"Well, PK Distort has to base what it shows off of something, right? Normally, it bases the hallucinations off of the fear that resides in your brain. However, you activated its ability to base what you see off of another dimension's reality instead. Instead of taking the information from your brain… you adjusted PK Distort to take information from the world around you. It's like you're looking at a television screen. No matter what the screen shows, the pictures that it displays are lies. After all, there aren't actually people and grass and skies packed into the TV. But… the TV can _show _what's real, or it can _show_ what isn't real, depending on what you decide to watch. PK Distort is the same way."

Maya nodded. That… made a bit more sense.

"So… you said that thought in the physical realm creates energy in this realm," Maya started. "…Why?"

Claus sighed.

"I don't really understand this one myself. Basically, it just _is. _I mean, the physical world is bound by fundamental laws of the universe. Why do two objects attract each other based off of their mass? …It just is. The laws of this plane make just as little sense. My mother also said something about this plane countering the physical world by favoring order while the physical universe favors chaos… although, I didn't really understand much of what she said. She went on about something about the second law of thermodynamics, and that was the point where I stopped listening."

Maya giggled. Something about the way that Claus didn't seem to worry about anything gave her an upbeat source of energy.

"Well, this chat really helped me out," Maya said. "Your sunny personality is contagious. And… it's nice to get a perspective from someone without scars."

Claus sighed.

"Ah, Maya, you confuse innocent and carefree. It's okay; most people do."

"Hmm?" Maya asked. "So… you do have scars?"

"I would say that I do," Claus replied. "I do know how it feels to be helpless, Maya. When my mother died and I couldn't do a thing to stop it… let's just say that I grew restless and started to see knives around every corner."

Claus' smile remained on his face, but it carried a twinge of sadness. Still, Claus seemed far more comfortable talking about his darkest moments than Maya would have expected. The fact that he could talk about his mother's death and not show a haunted pain like Lucas did made Maya stare in wonder.

"And then I was brainwashed," Claus continued. "For three long years, I couldn't control my body. I used all of my energy trying to break out… and I never made any progress. It was _exhausting, _Maya. In the end, I just wanted to die. And I finally got my wish five years ago."

Maya's eyes widened.

"You… how can you possibly bear all of that?"

_Geez, his problems make mine seem insignificant… _Maya blushed at how silly she had been when she had decided to hurt herself.

"I died happily," Claus explained. "Even though the three years before my death had been worse than I could have possibly imagined, I died in my brother's loving arms. In that moment… I realized that nothing else mattered. I was happy and he was with me. I was so fortunate to have Lucas with me… after all, it's impossible to change your mindset without a physical body. I will remain the same forever. If I had died hopeless and alone, I would be a fundamentally different person here in the psionic realm."

Claus offered a smile that carried the weight of all of his pains and woes.

"…You had the worst life that I can imagine," Maya said somberly. "And yet you are the most carefree person that I know. That makes me realize… that my scars don't have to hold me back!"

"Of course!" Claus exclaimed. "Humans always change. When you look back on yourself in ten years, you'll hardly be able to explain what caused you to use PK Distort on yourself. Just make sure that you change for the better."

"Thanks, I will!"

"Oh, Maya…" Claus trailed off as he cocked his head in thought. "I hate to add more troubles to your plate, but I have a _huge _favor to ask of you."

"Sure!" Maya exclaimed. "What is it?"

"There's someone who did something… dangerous with this realm. His name is Fassad… or Locria. He was already a cyborg before this happened, but right before he died he replaced most of his remaining body parts with mechanical ones. After his human part faded away, he still had the body parts of a robot."

"What does that have to do with this realm?" Maya asked.

"You see, he did something even more dangerous while preparing for death. He crafted a needle with extraordinary psionic power… I suppose that he learned from the seven needles that sealed away the dark dragon. Anyways, this needle allowed him to control his mechanical body… from the psionic plane. He's using his body as a mechanical reaper while he controls it from this realm… even though he's dead. He can continue moving his pawn until someone pulls the needle out."

"Oh, man." Maya didn't know what else to say.

"Yeah. Maya, I need you to pull that needle. Not only is such psionic craft forbidden, but he could take countless lives if left to roam freely. I know that I ask much of you, but I truly believe that you can do it."

Claus' glowing face made Maya believe that she could, too.

"All right," Maya whispered, pushing back the voice in her head that mocked and laughed.

* * *

Kristen didn't usually bite her nails, but she couldn't help it when Drake and Kumatora were arguing. She sat in one of the corners of Drake's house, trying not to get caught in the crossfire.

_Why am I even here? _she wondered. _It's not like I'm doing anything useful._

"You are a despicable human being," Kumatora spat. "Why did you have to put these stupid handcuffs on me? I wasn't going to attack you."

"You cannot control yourself, princess," Drake replied. "So I must control you."

Drake was searching around his dimly lit house. He picked up some batteries and replaced the old ones in the revitalizer.

"There's a name for people like you," Kumatora huffed. "And it's 'control freak.'"

Drake didn't respond. Kumatora sighed.

"Seriously, though. It's a little insulting to be treated like a child."

_Tell me about it, _Kristen thought.

"You are a child," Drake responded simply.

"You seem more like one, actually," Kumatora replied offhandedly. "Everything had to be done _your _way and if anything goes wrong, you throw a fit."

Drake stiffened and Kristen hid a gasp. _Nobody _talked to Drake that way… Kristen resumed biting her fingernails, feeling the hostile atmosphere weigh her down.

"You had _better _watch your mouth, princess," Drake snarled. "Don't think that I won't-"

"Beat me up and handcuff me?" Kumatora offered. "Oh wait, _you already did that._"

"I only did what I had to," Drake maintained. "Otherwise, you would have insisted on coming with us."

"Wait," Kumatora said, furrowing her eyebrows. "I'm _not _coming with you to stop the chimeras?"

_Oh no… _Kristen thought. _Can't Drake see that we need all of the advantages that we can get?_

"See?" Drake asked.

"So _that's _why you refused to let me teleport you to New Tazmily…" Kumatora mused. "But still, how dumb can you be? Whether you hate my guts or not, I'm useful in combat!"

"_That _is what annoys me," Drake said. "The fact that you think that you'll be allowed to do anything that you want, just because you're _useful._"

"So… this is kind of an anti-PSI pride thing, huh?" Kumatora asked.

"Yes," Drake replied. "Saving the world through PSI only to put another tyrant in charge of a civilization is wrong."

"Lucas isn't-"

"Tell me, Kumatora," Drake interrupted. "Do you think that Lucas would have taken the throne if he didn't know PSI?"

Kumatora looked up to the ceiling in thought.

"No," she replied. "But that doesn't make what he did wrong."

"You both think that it's just okay to seize what's in front of you because _you can?_" Drake demanded.

"You know," Kumatora said. "There's one thing that's been bothering me. You claim to know quite a bit about me and Lucas, but I've never seen you before in my life. So how did you get all of your dubious information?"

As a response, Drake took off his mask. His face was unremarkable with brown hair and a light mustache. Kumatora started laughing like a madwoman.

_What's so funny? _Kristen wondered.

"After all of this time…" Kumatora broke into additional laughter. "It's nice to see you again, Duster."

_Duster… like, the master thief who helped Lucas and Kumatora save the world? What in the world is going on? _

"Now, do you see why I have to take control?" Duster demanded. "You and Lucas completely _botched _your run as rulers."

Kumatora raised an eyebrow.

"How?" she asked.

Duster scoffed.

"You know."

"Uhh… no I don't?"

To her credit, Kumatora legitimately looked confused. She didn't seem to be the type to act, so Kristen was willing to believe that she truly didn't know what Duster was talking about.

"None of that matters, though," Duster said curtly. "Kristen, we leave now for New Tazmily. Once there, you will try to escort the civilians into Osohe castle while I take charge and deal with the chimeras."

"Good luck with that," Kumatora piped in. "Lucas won't let you take control. He's more than capable of handling the issue of the chimeras."

"I know that Lucas won't let me do what I must," Duster replied. "That's why I'm going to disable him as I did to you, princess."

_Oh no… _Kristen thought. _Drake is going to fight Lucas while the chimeras charge through New Tazmily… He's letting his pride get the best of him._

Kristen wanted to do something, anything, to avoid such a confrontation, but Duster's icy eyes froze all thoughts of rebellion.


	10. Chapter 10

**So, I'm going on a trip for a while starting tomorrow, so I may not be able to update as much in the near future. That's why I'm releasing this chapter now! This one is a bit longer than others in this story but still pretty short compared to most other fanfics. I'm planning on making the chapters for my next Earthbound fanfic longer... but I shouldn't worry about that now! :)**

**Oh, and I added Boney in this chapter (something that I wasn't planning on doing this entire story). He provides the comedic relief (and we all know that my stories need some of that :P), so enjoy! He and Maya make a pretty interesting duo.**

**Review Responses:**

**PK Love Gamma:**** Well... I kinda meant both. xD I understand how it feels to feel like you're going to barf while reading characters pulling crap like that, but I also understand what Maya did. The part about her body barfing to prevent her from doing something comes from personal experience, actually. :(**

**A Fan:**** Sorry that you didn't understand it! D: I know that it's a bit techy. I would try to explain it, but the TV screen analogy is really the best that I've got. :( Hopefully, you'll have more to cover this chapter! **

**SuperMarioFan5000:**** Congrats for getting the Drake/Duster thing right! :D And no, Maya doesn't know PK Love... I talk a little about that this chapter. I'm glad that you liked the Claus part! His personality really took be by surprise. xD That moment when your own characters surprise you... but it happens all of the time for me! ;)**

**OrangeFlight of ShadowClan:**** Haha, yeah. I tend to get a bit pedantic at times with words like "vestibular." Huh, it's so obscure that this editor doesn't even recognize it! xD And yeah, Duster used a high-tech version of the siren beetle. And the reason that Duster hates Lucas and Kumatora will be revealed... next chapter. :P It's honestly pretty cheesy, but my characters recognize it as being cheesy, so hopefully that will take some of the edge off of it. xD**

**Heh, French can be quite interesting! :) Some of the words sound so silly! xD Like "Parapluie" (umbrella). Although, it does get a bit weird because there are even more silent letters than in English. With verb conjugations, the commonly used "ent" ending is completely silent. Like... wut? xD I also like how shampoo in French is spelled "shampooing." It's the best! :D Still, Spanish is far more practical.**

**I ****_love _****to talk about my characters, and Paula and Ana are my favorites, so I'm glad that didn't annoy you. :) And I put a ****_lot _****of stuff that I think about into my writing. It's a great way to express my beliefs on controversial issues because if someone disagrees, they direct their hate at the character instead of me... and it's just nice to get a lot of my ideas out, since most people don't want to talk to me about random philosophy crap. So I express all of those beliefs through Ness, Paula, and Ana! :) That's probably why they're my three favorite characters haha.**

* * *

Kristen faked panting noises as she ran towards New Tazmily with Duster.

_Should I…? _Kristen wondered. She had come up with a plan that seemed to be the right thing to do. It wouldn't be all that difficult, either. In fact, the plan only had one problem.

It went against Duster's orders.

After two years of being conditioned to fear Duster, the thought of disobeying him made Kristen more self-conscious than she had previously thought possible. Irrational fears flashed through her head. She paid attention to details about herself that she hadn't even noticed before. The way that she was swinging her arms excessively… _surely _Duster would notice something wrong. If not that, then maybe he could tell that her panting was a farce. After all, Kristen was a _horrible _actor, and this run wasn't something that would normally tire her. And if he didn't notice _that_, maybe he would hear her heart pounding in her chest.

All of those concerns almost made Kristen abandon her plan.

_No, _Kristen thought. _Drake thinks that I should follow his every command, but he's dead wrong about this one! I can see the truth of this situation. Drake's approach will only lead to ruin._

Kristen was _convinced _that she was right. So why didn't she act?

She looked at Duster's hard face and felt nauseous acid well up in her stomach. Kristen had struggled with standing up to people in New Pork… but she was different now!

…Right?

_I just have to push through it, _Kristen thought.

Burying her terror under a façade of exhaustion, Kristen halted, leaning on a tree and panting.

"Come on!" Duster shouted. "We can't afford to lose time!"

"You go on ahead," Kristen wheezed as she gasped for unnecessary air. "I just… need to rest."

Duster halted.

"You don't normally get tired after a run like this," Duster observed. "What's going on?"

_He can see! _Kristen panicked. _He can see through my act! _

"We've been moving around a lot," Kristen lied. "I… feel exhausted from that, as well as from my thieving mission."

Duster examined Kristen, processing her words.

_Eek! _Kristen wanted to shout.

"…All right," Duster conceded. "When you get to New Tazmily, head to the center of town and escort the civilians to Osohe Castle. Hurry up, though. The lives of innocent people are at stake!"

Duster took off running once more.

After she was sure that he was gone, Kristen let out a sigh of relief. She had been _certain _that Duster would see through her lies, but she had fooled him! Kristen pumped a fist into the air.

She then turned around and started running back towards Ruldor.

* * *

Lucas rubbed his eyes as he faced another horde of chimeras. Three Ostrelephants flanked him, surrounded by a couple of Upgraded Robots.

_How many of these things are there? _Lucas wondered. He had been fighting for hours, but the chimera onslaught refused to cease.

Luckily for Lucas, the chimeras had terrible teamwork, only being able to attack in groups of three. The Ostrelephants charged at Lucas, but the close quarters made their tactic ineffective.

"PK Fly!" Lucas shouted, jumping into the sky and floating above the chimeras as they crashed into each other.

_Now! _Lucas thought.

He dove and smashed the first Ostrelephant's head with his staff. Normally, such force would cause the weapon to break, but Lucas' staff had been psionically enchanted. The first chimera died instantly as Lucas turned his attention to the others. Lucas slammed his staff into them in quick succession, the force of his blows enough to end their pitiful existence.

_Nice… _

But Lucas realized too late that he had committed too much time to taking out the Ostrelephants. Frantically, He tried to fly back up into the sky, but the Upgraded Robots bashed into him before he could escape. The force of the attacks would have been enough to kill most normal people, but Lucas' experience in battle granted him a resilience that allowed him to hang on. Besides, even if he would have died, Lucas' psionic stall would allow him to live until he could heal himself.

Lucas gritted his teeth as he smashed one of the robots, causing a web of cracks to appear on the glass that covered the space where its head should have been. The robot faltered, giving Lucas an opening to fly away from danger.

The other robot sprayed a white, odorless gas at Lucas. In the blink of an eye, Lucas forgot how to use all of his PSI. Whenever he tried to remember how to use his abilities, he drew a blank.

_Urg… _Lucas thought. _I wasn't planning on using offensive PSI anyway, but now I can't heal myself. I need to be more careful… _

Luckily, the spray didn't deactivate Lucas' existing PSI, so he could still use flight to his advantage. Lucas feinted towards the robot that he hadn't hit, causing it to leap back. In a flash, Lucas swerved around and smashed the other robot (which he had already injured), causing it to break down into a heap of junk.

_Just one more left… _

The robot tried another bum-rush, but Lucas was prepared this time. When the chimera came close to Lucas, he lashed out with his foot, using all of his physical strength to force the robot _away. _

SMAAAASH!

The robot soared until it crashed into a tree. Lucas ran up and bashed it once, twice, three times with his staff, reducing it to a pile of nuts and bolts.

_Phew, _Lucas thought. _That one got a little close… _

Lucas looked up into the sky and realized that it was the morning of _the next day. _A sunrise had never before seemed so horrifying for him.

_I've been out here for too long! _

Lucas checked his PSI reserves and determined that they were about a third full.

_Okay, I think that I should teleport out and warn everyone… Oh wait. The forgetfulness gas still hasn't worn off. _

Lucas sighed and rubbed his eyes.

_I guess that I just have to wait until I can use PSI again. Man, it's going to be a long day…_

* * *

Maya's senses returned to normal.

_Well, that did not go as expected… but it didn't turn out so poorly in the end. Still, was any of that stuff about the psionic realm real? _

"Maya!"

Maya blinked as her father materialized in front of her.

"What were you doing?" he demanded. "And what happened to your arm?"

"No need to be so judgmental, father," Maya responded coolly.

"I didn't say that I was judging-"

"Sometimes, the tone of your voice says more than your words do," Maya interrupted.

Maya's father gave her a hard look.

"You should know better than to talk back to me like that," he snapped. "I was just concerned about you. Is that so wrong? I might have to ground you for this…"

Maya groaned. Shouldn't there be an age where she was allowed to make her own decisions without her parents punishing her?

"Yes," Maya's father said, "Maybe _that _will teach you to ignore…"

Maya wasn't listening.

_What was I talking about with Claus…? Oh, right! Fassad and the needle that he wanted me to pull._

"See ya, dad!" Maya shouted and took off running. "I just remembered that I have to talk with Lucas about something and I don't want to be late!"

"That's _King _Lucas to you," her father replied.

Maya rolled her eyes.

"Whatever!" she shouted as she rounded a corner, leaving her father behind.

_He'll probably be furious when I get back… but I don't care! For once in my life, I have something to accomplish!_

Maya ran through the stone halls of Osohe, her footsteps echoing in the emptiness. Eventually, she reached the daylight to find that the drawbridge was up.

_Why isn't that stupid thing down? _Maya thought. With a start, she noticed that the sun was just rising. _Geez, how long was I out? _

Panic overtook Maya. Fassad was going to rampage through New Tazmily, and here she was, stuck behind a drawbridge!

_What am I going to do? _

Maya had always struggled when it came to making decisions; she preferred to let other people deal with her hard choices. That way, she wouldn't have to hate herself so much if she made the wrong decision. Unfortunately, that mentality had conditioned Maya to fly into a panic whenever she a difficult choice presented itself.

_I just need to think about this logically… _Maya forced herself to take a deep breath. _Maybe PSI will help… yes, that's it! PK Anti-G allows me to jump far higher than my human body normally allows!_

Maya's heart flooded with hope… and nervousness. After all, she had never used Anti-G for something so monumental. What if she failed?

_Well, _Maya thought, _I fail by default if I don't try, so I really have nothing to lose. _

As Maya was about to use Anti-G on herself, she heard a loud bark. Maya turned and saw Boney running towards her.

"Hey, Boney," Maya said, reaching down to pet him as he sat down next to her. "I would try to spend time with you, but I have to warn Lucas! I'll be back soon, okay?"

Boney barked a reply: _Let me come with you. _

Maya blinked. Was she going insane, or could she now talk to dogs? Figuring that it was the former, Maya stood up and once again prepared to use PK Anti-G.

"Arf, arf!" _The polite response when asked a question is to respond, Maya._

"Boney, are you _talking _to me?" Maya asked in disbelief.

_Yeah, _Boney barked. _What about it? _

"How are you communicating with me?"

_How should I know? _Boney replied. _All PSI users can understand me, though. At least, all PSI users that I've met… congrats for learning psionics, by the way. You picked up on it far more quickly than Lucas did._

Maya blushed.

"I'm sure that I only learned so quickly because I had such a wonderful instructor… and oh man, talking to a dog sure feels weird."

_Lucas said the same thing, _Boney barked. _Multiple times. It got old quickly._

Maya laughed.

"All right," she said. "For your sake, I will try to limit my outbursts."

_Much appreciated._

"So… do you really want to come with me?" Maya asked. "I mean, it may be dangerous…"

Boney gave Maya a flat look. She didn't quite know how he managed to do it, but boy did he get the message across.

_I helped Lucas, Duster, and Kumatora save the world, Maya. I'm not some lap dog. Honestly, humans! They remember the others as heroes, but they forget about me! It's prejudice, I tell you!_

"Well, feel free to whine more later, but-"

_I'm not whining! _Boney barked defiantly.

"Sure you're not," Maya said sarcastically. "But anyways, besides the danger thing, I do not know if my mission is even legitimate. I received this quest from someone in one of my hallucinations."

_Hallucinations?_

"Yeah," Maya answered with a sigh. "I inflicted painful hallucinations on myself. Don't ask why."

_…Why?_

Maya gave Boney a flat look, but eventually was unable to resist smiling.

"I'm not telling, but the person in my hallucination seemed real."

_Um, Maya, that's what hallucinations do._

"No, no!" Maya exclaimed. "He was… oh, I can't describe it! Let's try another approach… does Lucas have a brother named Claus with red hair who died five years ago?"

_How did you know?_

"I spoke to him in one of my hallucinations. He said that I was seeing the psionic realm, and that psionics is just the act of harnessing energy from that realm, meaning that people that use PSI simply have an affinity with that plane which allows them to tap into the plane's energy."

_Maybe… _Boney barked quietly. _But still, I wouldn't trust anything that you get from a hallucination. _

"Hmm… when you travelled with Lucas, did you ever meet a cyborg named Fassad?"

Boney's eyes lit up.

_Did Claus tell you that as well?_

"Yeah… Claus said that this 'Fassad' was being controlled by his dead spirit through a psionic needle similar to the ones that Lucas pulled. He tasked me with pulling that needle."

_Well, doesn't the person who pulls the needle have to know PK Love?_

"Um… Claus didn't say anything about that."

_Huh, _Boney barked. _Maybe the needle that he put in himself has less advanced protection… assuming that it's even real. We should tell Lucas about this._

"Yeah, that's what I was planning to do right now!" Maya exclaimed. "I'm trying to get over this drawbridge."

_How did you know that Lucas isn't in his room?_

"Umm…."

_You mean that you just assumed that Lucas wasn't where he would likely be at this hour and you were right? _Boney barked incredulously.

"I guess so."

_Huh, I wish that I had your guessing powers. _

Maya smiled.

"Come on, let's go. If Claus was right, we could have a serious issue on our hands. We'll have plenty of time to converse later."

_Okay, _Boney barked. _Just use PK Anti-G on both me and you._

Maya nodded and did just that. She crafted the ability to negate most of gravity's influence on them, but she left a little so that they wouldn't float around helplessly.

_This feels weird, _Boney complained.

"Doesn't it?" Maya asked.

_I hate it. I feel like I'm about to float away._

"Remember, this was your idea."

_Yeah, yeah. _

Boney bounded into the sky, soaring like a bird. He disappeared over the drawbridge.

_I'm alive! _Boney shouted from the other side. _And I think that I only broke a few bones… I'm just kidding, Maya. You should come over here. _

Maya nodded. She didn't want to risk tripping due to her inexperience with low gravity, so Maya followed Boney's example and leapt straight into the air. She let out a scream as she soared through the air.

_I'm going to die! _she thought, looking at the land's tiny features below. _I'm going to fall and die!_

_No, _Maya thought. _According to the laws of physics, I'll land with the same force that I jumped with, or even less if drag is considered. I have nothing to fear…_

But that didn't stop her from screaming as she cleared the drawbridge and began her slow descent. Wind whizzed by as she floated erratically like a feather. Eventually, she landed softly on the ground.

"Dismiss PK Anti-G!" she shouted hastily.

_Good job, _Boney barked. _I think that you just woke up everyone in New Tazmily with your infernal screams. _

"That was awesome!" Maya exclaimed, ignoring Boney's comment.

_Wait, _Boney barked. _So you scream and legitimately look terrified while you jump, and now you want to do it again?_

"Um… yeah?"

Boney barked the equivalent of a laugh.

_You remind me of Lucas. But you have Claus' drive._

Maya beamed at what she assumed was a compliment from Boney.

_Don't get cocky, kid. Just because you act like Lucas and Claus doesn't mean much. Plenty of people carry similar attributes._

"Killjoy," Maya muttered.

_Hey, _Boney barked. _Didn't you say that we need to hurry up and get to Lucas? Geez, let's hurry up here!_

Maya scoffed indignantly but followed Boney as he took off into the heart of New Tazmily.

* * *

Lucas appeared at the entrance to the path that lead to the western wilderness.

_Guess my teleport was a bit off… _Lucas thought._ This road leads to Ruldor…_ _I teleported myself to the farthest possible location away from the chimeras while still remaining in Tazmily's borders. Apparently, the forgetfulness gas' tertiary effects still plague me._

"Lucas!"

Lucas turned to see Flint running towards him with a look of concern scrawled on his face.

"Hello, father," Lucas greeted wearily.

"Lucas!" Flint repeated as he came closer. "You look exhausted."

"I… guess that I am," Lucas said softly.

Flint shot him a look of disapproval.

"You shouldn't work yourself so hard," Flint chided. "You'll burn out at this rate… when was the last time that you slept?"

"Yesterday," Lucas replied with a yawn. "Although I guess I fell asleep the day before that and woke up yesterday."

"You need to rest, son," Flint said. "Sometimes I do worry about how much you work…"

"Unusual circumstances, father," Lucas responded. "A horde of chimeras approaches New Tazmily. I tried to hold them off, but…"

_But here I am, _Lucas finished in his mind.

"Well, you should go and get some sleep," Flint argued. "I can warn the townspeople. I think that there should be enough room in Osohe Castle to keep everyone safe…"

"No, no," Lucas denied with another yawn. "I can keep going…"

"Son, you need to know when to stop," Flint asserted. "Knowing you, hundreds of chimeras lie dead as we speak."

_Yes, but that's not enough! _Lucas wanted to shout.

"Father, this is an _emergency,_" Lucas said, "And Kumatora isn't here. I still have some strength left for PSI, and we're going to need all of the help that we can get. I know that I should rest, but my PSI could save hundreds of lives. I can sleep after this… I just need to hold on for a little longer."

Flint gave Lucas a hard look.

"Lucas… please try to understand when I say that's _exactly _how I felt when I spent those years looking for Claus."

Lucas shivered reflexively. Unbidden memories came to mind, harassing Lucas and refusing to leave.

Guilt.

Neglect.

Pain.

Lucas looked away, gritting his teeth as he tried to keep tears from coming to his eyes. Lucas' own shadow seemed to laugh at him.

"I'm… sorry," Flint whispered. "I shouldn't have brought that up. I know how painful that was for you… and you were so young."

"No," Lucas whispered back, his voice shaking out of chilling sorrow. "No, you were right to mention that. It's true that those memories hurt me, but how can I accept their lessons if I look away? I should take your experiences into consideration before I make my decision."

Flint smiled.

"Thanks for understanding, son. So, do you now recognize that you have to let go and not hang onto your fantasy like I did?"

"No."

"What?" Flint asked in surprise.

"I said that I would take your experiences into account, and I did. Father… even though what you did nearly destroyed you and doing this may destroy me, I'm willing to take that risk. After losing mother and Claus, I _really understood _what it meant to die for the first time. And that understanding… terrifies me, father. We both came close to shattering when mother died, remember? And… that could happen to other people. _That _is why I refuse to sit back, even when I probably should."

A silence hung in the air for what seemed like hours.

"All right," Flint finally said. "I don't like what you're doing, but at this point, you've shown that you can make your own choices like an adult. I won't try to force you into anything."

"Thanks," Lucas said gratefully.

"However, I may insist on coming with you."

Lucas' eyes shot wide open in denial.

"Father, no!"

"Why not?" Flint asked. "I know how to fight and I can psionic stall just like you."

"You'll be throwing yourself into a horde of chimeras," Lucas said bluntly. "Whether or not you know how to fight, you could easily die!"

"Couldn't you just heal me if I get injured?" Flint asked.

"Honestly, I could, but it would require me to be at one location at all times, which would negate much of the advantage that I get from PSI in the first place."

Flint cocked his head in thought.

"I never really thought about that… and I suppose that I would be just as useful escorting civilians to Osohe Castle. All right, I give into your logic."

Lucas sighed in relief.

"Thanks for understanding, father!"

"I do try," Flint replied with a rare smile. "How long until the chimeras get here?"

"It should be a while…" Lucas replied uncertainly. "I fought them a long distance away, but they can move quickly."

"All right; I'll start alerting the townspeople right now."

Lucas smiled as his father turned around and walked away. Maybe this would all work out…

"Lucas."

Startled, Lucas turned around and saw Duster staring at him with icy eyes.

"Duster!" Lucas shouted. "Where have you been for the past two years?"

"I tried to keep this world safe," Duster replied coolly. "However, your _wife _botched everything that I worked so hard for! Fassad controls the chimeras; Kumatora angered him and now he's trying to destroy New Tazmily."

"Fassad?" Lucas asked, feeling the world around him darken a few shades. "He should have disappeared when we pulled the last needle! Or was he not Locria after all…?"

"No, he was the last Magypsy," Duster confirmed. "He's a robot now."

"Oh my," Lucas said in horrified wonder. "Let's go, then! We have to stop him!"

"You mistake me," Duster replied icily. "I did not come to _help, _Lucas. I came to take control of this issue, because it seems that I am the only one that can keep this world safe!"

Lucas looked at Duster, hoping to see a hint of humor on his face.

He found none.

"I'm sorry," Lucas replied in the same icy tone, "But did I just hear what I thought that I did? You abandon me and Kumatora without telling us where you went, and now you come back and just _expect _to get put in charge? You had better have a good reason why you would make a better leader than I."

"It's not about being a better leader, boy!" Duster snarled. "Your PSI-empowered reign must end!"

"We should discuss this _after _we deal with the crisis at hand," Lucas countered.

"Oh, because my problems aren't good enough when compared with yours, huh? So because you have PSI, that gives _you _the right to determine which issues are actually important?"

"One does not need PSI to possess a sense of basic logic and human decency, Duster," Lucas replied, hiding his annoyance under a frosty tone. "People could die from this crisis. Therefore, I want to help them. Your problem may be important, but the immediate safety of my people-"

"You just don't understand!" Duster shouted. "You never _listen _to what other people say, do you?"

"I was not aware that I speak with a hypocrite," Lucas responded. "Go back to wherever you came from or help me. I will not force you to be a decent human being, but trying to steal my authority to use for your petty ends-"

"My PETTY ENDS?" Duster roared. "You… have decayed into pure filth during these past two years, Lucas!"

"Ad hominem attacks have nothing to do with the situation at hand."

"SHUT UP! You think that you're so damn righteous, don't you? You're freaking _perfect _while everyone else around you is motivated by greed and pettiness, is that it?"

"I stand by my former statement. Personal attacks have nothing to do with the situation at hand."

"Gah!" Duster shouted. "If you won't listen, I'll have to use force to motivate you!"

Lucas fell silent.

"So," he whispered. "You finally resort to force because your words fail you. I suppose that I should not be surprised."

"You…" Duster spat, his face turning red with rage. "THIS IS NOT A DEFEAT! I only have to do this because _you _won't listen."

"I can listen and disagree with what you say."

"STOP TALKING!" Duster roared. "Come on, sissy boy! Let's see how well you can _fight!_"

Lucas stiffened.

_Sissy boy? _

More memories flooded Lucas. He heard chilling voices speak to him, voices of people that he knew and called friends.

_What a crybaby!_

_He's just standing there, crying by his mother's grave._

_Why don't you get up and do something, Lucas? Why are you just standing there?_

_Why aren't you good enough?_

Those memories hurt Lucas, and Duster knew it. Lucas prepared himself to channel the rage that those memories granted him into a psionic attack, but something stopped him.

_That's how Maya got to me, _he realized. _And I regretted letting my emotions control me then. It is important to feel emotions, but letting them pull my strings only leads to ruin. _

"I will fight if you wish," Lucas whispered. "But I will fight with sorrow in my heart, sorrow that friends that were so close now must resort to violence."

Duster shot Lucas a look filled with pure malice. Lucas took a deep breath as he readied his defensive combat pose.

* * *

"What was that about humans being weak and slow, Boney?" Maya asked as she whizzed past the dog.

_You used PSI, _Boney barked. _No fair._

Maya laughed.

"PK Run is the best!" she shouted playfully. "Seriously, though, where are we going?"

_Well, Lucas sometimes takes morning strolls by the beach, so I thought that I'd check… Wait! _Boney's ears shot up. _I hear shouting. That voice… I think that it belongs to Duster._

"Duster?" Maya asked in shock. "But he left New Tazmily two years ago!"

_Yes, _Boney barked, _But I know his voice well. I am positive that those words belong to him._

"You're positive?" Maya asked. "That's a first. You're usually so negative…"

_Hilarious, _Boney barked sarcastically. _Truly, you are the master of wit._

Maya couldn't help but laugh.

"All right… should we go see what he's doing?" Maya asked.

_Probably. Fassad can wait. After all, he could be hundreds of miles away._

"I guess that makes sense. Lead the way, faithful companion."

Boney barked the equivalent of an indignant snort and took off running. Maya smiled and followed. After a while, Maya could hear yelling as well.

"Come on, sissy boy! Let's see how well you can _fight!_"

Maya shivered. That sounded like Duster… but it couldn't be. Duster couldn't have possibly sounded so _cold. _

Trepidation invaded Maya's bloodstream as she broke into a sprint. She heard more words, but her brain didn't register them.

_That's not Duster… it can't be… _

Maya rounded a corner and saw Duster charging at Lucas.

_No! _Maya wanted to shout, but the word got caught in her throat. _Please… stop…_

Lucas darted to the side and smacked Duster with a staff.

_This isn't real…_

_But it is, _a part of her mind whispered. _This is real, and there's nothing that you can do about it._

Maya sank to her knees. Two of the people that she cared dearly about were trying to _hurt _each other, and there was nothing that she could do!

_I truly believe that you can do it._

That voice…

"Claus?" Maya asked out loud.

_In ten years, you'll hardly be able to explain why you used PK Distort on yourself. _

Maya gritted her teeth. Claus had shown her that despite her past failures, she could still become the person that she wanted to be. Looking at Duster and Lucas fighting, Maya asked herself what the person that she wanted to be would do. The answer came easily to her head.

"You two will _stop!_" Maya yelled at the top her lungs without hesitation.

Immediately after shouting those words, Maya felt a pang of regret. _They won't stop and I'll look stupid now…_

Duster screeched to a halt and Lucas put down his guard. Both turned to look at Maya, seeming to forget their feud. The battlefield fell silent.

In that moment, Maya couldn't have said what made her happier: Duster's look of utter shock or the proud smile plastered on Lucas' face.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, everyone! Look who's back! :D**

**So if you visited my profile, you'll know that I said that I would wait until finishing the story to release the next chapter so that I could get everything worked out.**

**I lied.**

**I decided that this chapter is pretty much finished, so I'm just posting it. I have the next chapter done, and I'm anticipating two more (one of which is either going to be a wrap up chapter or an epilogue). I'm actually not feeling very motivated right now because the next chapter that I have to write involves a lot of fighting, and I ****_hate _****writing combat scenes. I'm pretty bad at writing them too. Oh well. :(**

**Oh, and I finally found an interesting idea for Kristen rather than for Maya or Lucas. Hope you guys like it! :)**

**Review Responses:**

**PK Love Gamma:**** The ending to this one is pretty light as well. :) And the personal experience thing... I want to say that it wasn't that bad, but it actually was pretty rough. xD I'm okay now, though, which is what really matters. :)**

**Just A Fan:**** Heh, I wasn't planning on adding in Boney at all, so I'm glad that you like him! I think that Boney and Maya make for a pretty comedic duo in this chapter. :) As for ultimate equips... I had never really thought about it (and I still don't really care that much about equips, honestly). It's not really a part of the story. :) Aw... that sucks. D: You don't even get to see the most powerful part of the game (the final fight with the masked man). And it's kinda funny because right after you talk about how frequently I update, I take a medium sized break. xD**

**A Fan:**** You'll see Kristen's intentions soon. :)**

**Ah, yeah, Lucas didn't want to use offensive PSI because he's already used up a lot of his power. Shoulda made that more clear.**

**Yeah, Maya's scared of heights and falling down from a height taller than the drawbridge (however slowly it may be) is pretty scary for her. When I said "floats down like a feather" I meant to say "sways back and forth in the wind like a feather." Thanks for the catch! :)**

**And I took your advice and changed it to "You two will stop!" You're totally right about that one. And yeah, I kinda had to ignore logic a bit to get the encounters that I want. :)**

**Orangeflight of ShadowClan:**** Yay! Long reviews are the best! :D**

**Yeah, there's some bitterness between Maya and her dad. I think that they were both pretty disrespectful of each other... although Maya probably more. :P I'm glad that you liked Boney! :) I think that you'll like him in this chapter as well... and after that, he starts falling off in terms of humor. :( Oh well. And it's kinda funny how everyone recognizes that Duster's arguments make no sense. When I wrote his character, I didn't really design him to be a pathetic arguer. I feel like the reason that he is one as that he normally tries to get by through intimidation and propaganda, but that doesn't work on Lucas. Therefore, he tries to use logic, but it doesn't really work. Sadly, I think that there are quite a few people irl who are like this. :(**

**Hey, don't apologize for not knowing a word! :) Duster's reason is pretty lame, but I tried to spin it so that it didn't seem particularly cheesy or silly. xD I know, it's so weird how how "ent" can be silent. It can be pretty annoying because some nouns end in "ent," in which case you ****_do _****pronounce it. And also, the "s" at the end of a word to make it plual is always silent. Weird stuff. I totally know what you mean about people hating before trying to understand; it makes me sad. :( I feel like introverts have less issues with that, and most writers are introverts, so I've had a great experience with this site! :)**

**And as always, I'm glad that you liked the chapter! :)**

* * *

As she entered Ruldor, Kristen's spider sense told her that she was not alone.

She instantly chided herself for nervous paranoia. Why would anyone watch her? After all, nobody had really cared what she did for the past five years. Why should it be any different now?

_It's Drake, _Kristen realized. _I'm still terrified of disobeying him. I feel that someone watches me because the prospect of Drake discovering what I plan to do refuses to leave my mind._

At that moment, Kristen received a call on her mobile. She let out a yelp when she saw the identity of the caller.

Drake.

Kristen accepted the call, trying to placate her nerves.

"Hello?" she asked, barely managing to keep her voice from shaking.

"Kristen," Duster answered harshly. "Are you going to be here soon?"

"I should be," Kristen managed to get out. "I'm almost there…"

That would be true if her plan actually worked.

"Good," Duster stated curtly. "We will need all of the help that we can get."

_Except for PSI users, huh? _Kristen wanted to say.

"I understand the importance of our mission," Kristen replied in the same brisk tone, trying not to let her voice waver. "I shall make every effort to get over there as soon as possible."

Also true.

"All right."

Duster cut the call off. Kristen sighed in relief. He had no idea that she disobeyed him and happened to be nowhere near New Tazmily… right?

Kristen decided not to worry about it and walked up to Duster's house. She shook the doorknob to find that the door was locked. Kristen let her mouth twist into a smile as she prepared to immerse herself in her next task. Part of her thief training with Duster had been learning how to pick locks, so Kristen possessed the experience to overcome this challenge.

Kristen pulled a lock pick out of her bag and started to work on the door. The lock was complex and well made, but Kristen had picked it earlier in one of her practice sessions with Duster. She was _sure _that she could do this…

_Aha!_

Kristen heard a clicking noise and the door unlocked. She strode into the house triumphantly.

"Well, you look damn proud of yourself," came a voice from inside.

Queen Kumatora stood in the corner of the room, handcuffed and shackled to the wall. She did _not _look happy about it. Normally, Kristen preferred to avoid people like Kumatora who carried a sullen air about them, but she didn't have a choice this time. Well… she did have a choice, but she couldn't justify picking the alternative.

"Hello, Queen Kuma-"

"Just Kumatora," the queen interrupted.

Kristen rolled her eyes.

"Does it really make a difference? Okay, _Kumatora, _let's get you out of here."

"Huh," Kumatora said, looking confused. "So Duster sends someone to get me out _now? _What a flake."

"I… didn't come on Duster's orders."

Kumatora shot Kristen a hard look. After a few seconds, she broke into laughter.

_What's so funny?_ Kristen wondered.

"So you _do _have some fight in you, kitten," Kumatora said with a huntress' grin.

"Don't call me that!"

"It's what you are," Kumatora maintained. "A little kitten that is learning how to live apart from its overbearing mother. You look obedient and harmless from the outside, but you have a rebellious side that even you don't fully understand."

That assessment startled Kristen with its accuracy.

"I'm surprised how rude you act when talking to someone who could be your salvation," Kristen muttered.

"Sorry," Kumatora replied unapologetically. "I'm a blunt person. If you don't like it, you can scuttle away once we're done dealing with each other. I don't mind."

_Why, you little… _

"Scuttle away?" Kristen asked in disgust.

What annoyed her more than the insult is that it sounded like something that she would do.

"People do that," Kumatora replied with a shrug. "You might not."

"Your words seem well-thought out, if _unbelievably _rude," Kristen noticed out loud. "That's not an attribute I would expect from someone like you… the well-thought out part, I mean."

Instead of taking it as an insult, Kumatora flashed another feral grin.

"Yes, you are correct…" Kumatora responded. "Normally, I would not bother to think before I speak. However, I have been chained to a wall for quite some time. That leaves me with nothing to do but contemplate. And I blame Lucas for corrupting me with that _thinking _of his."

Kumatora broke into wry laughter while Kristen remained silent.

"Oh, by the way," Kumatora added, "You are the thief that stole some of New Pork's surviving technology, right?"

"Yes," Kristen replied. What was the point in denying it?

"Shoulda figured that one out earlier…" Kumatora mused. "Lucas would have known in a heartbeat."

"You really seem to admire Lucas," Kristen observed.

"Yeah… I guess I do," Kumatora replied. "He's just such a good person. I don't know how he does it. Someone can come crying to me and I'll call them a crybaby, but Lucas will make them feel better. Sometimes, I wish that I could be more like him…"

Kristen blinked. She hadn't expected such a revelation from someone as proud as Kumatora.

"And I've noticed that _you _seem to hate him," Kumatora added, looking Kristen straight in the eye. "Why?"

Why _did _she hate Lucas?

"He took away everything that I loved from me," Kristen whispered. "I bear a grudge against him for that."

"Everything that you love?"

"Programming. Tinkering with robots. Anything relating to New Pork's technology."

"You're kidding!" Kumatora exclaimed. "People _like _doing stuff like that?"

Kristen shot Kumatora a scowl, but the queen either didn't notice or didn't care.

"I knew that he was just trying to do his best," Kristen continued. "But I had to blame _someone _for the loss of what I loved, and he was the perfect culprit."

Kumatora nodded along. She seemed to understand what Kristen was saying.

"And then I met him in person during my theft," Kristen said. "I expected him to be proud, stuck up, and narcissistic, just like most heroes in the stories."

_And like you, _Kristen almost added.

"But… he talked to me like an equal," she continued. "It didn't even seem like he noticed that he was doing it, but he talked to me and _listened _to what I had to say. It became harder to hate him after that."

"It probably would have been easier to hate me, huh?" Kumatora asked. "Heck, I'm convinced that you _already _hate me."

"Yeah," Kristen answered honestly. "If Lucas had been more like you, I think that I would still hate him with all of my guts."

"And that's what I love about him," Kumatora spoke up. "It's so hard to despise him because he makes you feel like an equal whose opinions _deserve _to be expressed."

"You love him?" Kristen asked. "I… assumed that your marriage was political and that you two shared no real feelings for each other."

"Well, the marriage was political," Kumatora responded. "But that doesn't mean that we can't love each other. It may not be romantic love, but I think that we do have feelings for each other. I _hope _that he has feelings for me…"

Under Kumatora's confident nature, Kristen saw a crack of insecurity.

"But we're wasting precious time, right?" Kumatora asked, changing the subject with a shake of her head. "You came here to release me, yes?"

Kristen nodded.

"All right…" Kumatora trailed off. "Do you have a way to get rid of these handcuffs? I can't use PSI in this state."

"I think so…" Kristen started rummaging through her backpack. "Aha!"

She pulled out a squirt gun.

"Oh!" Kumatora exclaimed. "A saltwater gun! Those things will cause this metal to rust… psionic salts for the win!"

_Huh, this thing is psionic? _Kristen wondered. _I suppose that it makes sense. After all, it's just water… and salt._

Kristen sprayed saltwater all over Kumatora's handcuffs. In mere seconds, they rusted into a brittle, red hunk. Kumatora pulled her hands apart with immense physical force, breaking one of the links that separated the two cuffs.

"Good enough," Kumatora assessed. She tuned to Kristen. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Shall we warp to New Tazmily?"

"Go ahead… but wait! You are still shackled to the wall."

"Not a problem," Kumatora stated.

"…Okay, then."

"Grab onto my arm," Kumatora directed.

_This is pretty weird… _Kristen thought but complied with the request.

"PK Teleport Omega!" Kumatora shouted.

The world around Kristen started to spin.

* * *

Kristen materialized in New Tazmily. The sounds of battle rang in her ears. Kristen froze in shock as a creature with snake's tail and neck and a cow's body and head slapped Kristen with its tail.

_Ow… _Kristen thought. _Why does that hurt so much?_

"Damn it!" Kumatora shouted. "And damn Duster! Now look at what's happening!"

Kristen pulled out a laser gun and fired it at the cattlesnake. The beast let out a moan as the laser collided with its head.

"Why are these chimeras here already?" Kristen panted.

"To hell if I know!" Kumatora replied. "PK Fire Omega!"

Flames sprouted from the earth, forming a line that arced around Kumatora and Kristen, hitting the cattlesnake and killing it instantly. Kristen looked towards Kumatora and saw two other charred chimeras that must have engaged Kumatora. Kristen almost vomited at the smell of singed flesh.

"Let's move!" Kumatora shouted.

Kristen nodded and followed Kumatora, who seemed to know where to go. At this time, Kristen took in fully the scenery around her. Ravaged houses lay on either side of her and the earth was covered with deep footprints of various sizes.

_The chimeras must have stampeded through here, _she realized.

Panic gripped Kristen, pushing her to run faster. She hadn't seen any human corpses, but that didn't mean that everyone was safe…

Within a few seconds, Kristen heard additional sounds of fighting.

"Damn, I should have listened to Lucas when he told me to learn PK Run," Kumatora muttered.

The queen and the thief broke into an all-out sprint as they headed towards the combat noises. In the distance, Kristen saw a horde of people trying to hold out against a group of bloodthirsty chimeras.

"You ready for this?" Kumatora asked.

"Do you even have to ask?" Kristen replied.

"Heh, you sure have strict morals. At least, for a thief."

Kristen felt anger rise through her system.

_Stealing isn't fundamentally wrong! _

"I will have a chat with you about the thief thing later," Kristen asserted. "But regardless, I _do _care about the safety of innocent people, regardless of whether or not I steal. We are not so different from each other, I feel."

Kumatora looked at Kristen and the corners of her lips turned upward to form a slight smile.

"Agreed," she replied. "At least, about us being similar."

Kristen's adrenaline carried her forward as she fired shots at the mass of chimeras. Various beasts flung themselves at Kristen, but Kumatora swatted most of them out of the air with her PSI.

_What level of mastery must that require? _Kristen wondered.

The fighting thickened around Kristen. She lost herself in the beat of the battle, letting herself focus on nothing except for where to shoot next. She remembered smelling blood in the air, although she couldn't say where it came from. She remembered darting out of the way as explosives detonated in the area where she had stood seconds ago, but she couldn't have said how she knew to move or even which chimera tried to explode her.

Kristen didn't think. She just _did. _

She let herself become a weapon. A weapon couldn't think; a weapon couldn't feel. A weapon could only be used. Kristen became death as she fired shot after shot at the chimeras. It didn't matter that they surrounded her and tried to bite her head off. It didn't matter that Kumatora proved to be far more useful in combat than Kristen. A weapon wasn't held back by fear or pride.

A weapon only killed.

After what seemed like only seconds, Kristen felt a human hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see Kumatora, her azure eyes betraying empathetic worry.

"Hey, you can stop fighting now," Kumatora said gently. "All of the chimeras are dead."

Kristen blinked. She scanned the battlefield and only then registered the desolation. Chimera corpses lay scattered across the fertile, desolate landscape, and humans lay next to them.

_No…_

"How many… died?" Kristen asked, a knot welling up in her throat.

"Of us?" Kumatora offered. "None. The chimeras tend to leave cripples rather than corpses. After Lucas comes back, he can heal them… some of them, at least."

"That was my first time in a real battle," Kristen whispered. "I don't know how I expected to feel, but I never thought that I would feel like… like…" Kristen couldn't describe it.

"Like you're a robot?" Kumatora asked softly. "Like your only purpose is to destroy just like just like the heartless beasts that you fight?"

"Yes," Kristen answered sadly.

"I feel that way too," Kumatora whispered.

Kristen couldn't think of anything to say to that. She just stood there in silence, feeling the atmosphere of death weigh her down.

"Do you ever fear that you're no better than they are?" Kumatora asked after a pause, uncharacteristic fear showing in her cerulean eyes.

"I don't know," Kristen replied honestly. "I've never really thought about it. I… guess that I am. After all, what separates us from those that we fight?"

"Some would say that our intention does."

Kristen shook her head.

"Once we get into the thick of the battle, the _why _doesn't seem to matter as much. Both the chimeras and try to take lives… and even the chimeras would rather maim than kill."

"So you feel it too," Kumatora whispered gratefully. "I'm not alone."

"So, _are _we any better than the chimeras?" Kristen asked.

Kumatora sighed.

"From a logical standpoint, we are," Kumatora answered. "After all, we fight to protect, while they fight to destroy. That's… the reasoning that Lucas gave me when I asked him. But something about it just feels _wrong._"

Kristen nodded.

"It feels like we should be able to hang onto who we are if we truly are different from soulless beasts."

"Lucas does that," Kumatora explained. "I envy that about him sometimes. But… when I told that to him, he said that he envied _my _ability to charge into a fight without getting caught up in indecision and worry. Apparently, he struggled with that."

"It just feels like there's no right way," Kristen said. "I do not want to become so immersed in battle that I forget who I am… but what if that immersion could save a life? What if my lack of hesitation and contemplation allows me to act quickly enough to prevent further disaster?"

Kumatora shook her head.

"That is the problem with us humans. We want to be perfect, but every attribute about us has its downsides."

The harsh wisdom in those words scared Kristen.

"I think that's why there are so many different kinds of people," Kumatora continued. "If we were all the same, we would all have the same weaknesses. I think that our mechanical style of combat has its place, just like Lucas' contemplative style has its place."

"I hope that you are right," Kristen responded. "I still shudder to think of myself in a situation where single-minded efficiency is needed."

Kumatora looked at Kristen and smiled.

"But that's what we're here for, isn't it?" she asked. "We do what we have to in unfathomably horrific situations. Someone like Lucas would get so lost in the horror that he wouldn't be able to act. And that's okay. There have to be _some _people that can see the true scope of a catastrophic situation. But… that's not us. While Lucas is the prospector, we are the soldiers. When disaster strikes, we know what to do, even if it involves sacrificing a life."

Kristen felt a chill run down her spine.

"I don't want to be like that," she whispered. "I want to be like Lucas. I would rather die hopeful than live cynically."

"Don't we all?" Kumatora asked. "But our impulsiveness… our ignorance… they are our strengths as well as our weaknesses. In regular life, we are the stubborn jerks that nobody likes. But when we have to take action… that is when we shine."

"We don't have a role in peaceful society," Kristen figured depressively. "In a world where careful contemplation paves the way to success, our traits hinder us."

Kumatora offered a sad smile.

"That is our fate, Kristen. We destroy rather than build. But that's okay. Sometimes, society needs some of its walls torn down. We are the catalysts that make those changes happen."

"So what do we do after this is over?" Kristen asked. "I've spent my life trying to destroy worthless tradition that weighs society down. What will happen to me after I accomplish that? What is my role in society after a period of turmoil passes?"

"I'm not going to lie," Kumatora replied, staring into Kristen's soul with a lion's intensity. "I looked through Osohe's history to find that answer myself. The truth is, most catalysts like us die young or fade away into obscurity after a crisis passes."

Another chill ran down Kristen's spine.

_I… don't want to fade away…_

Kristen swore that she could _see _pieces of her dream crumble right before her eyes.

* * *

Lucas couldn't help but break into smile when he saw Maya shout in such a commanding way.

_I didn't destroy her! _Lucas thought. _She's better off than I am… _

How could _anyone _not smile when confronted with such a beautiful show of growth?

Lucas turned back to Duster, who wore an irritated scowl. Apparently, to not smile at such a display of growth, one had to be Duster.

"What are you doing here?" Duster demanded, directing his harsh words at Maya. "Can't you tell that we are in the _middle of a fight?_"

"Thanks for the shout, Maya," Lucas piped in to Duster's astonishment. "And great job being confident!"

Maya shot Lucas a shy smile.

"STOP TALKING!" Duster roared. "This is a _fight, _Lucas! Have you grown old and senile already?"

Lucas evaluated Duster's words.

_Ridiculous, every one of them._

That presented Lucas with two options: he could either take offense at the way that Duster viewed him or laugh at his former friend's stupidity.

The choice was obvious.

"Why the hell are you laughing?" Duster shouted.

"I'm sorry," Lucas wheezed, "But just _look _at yourself! Listen to the irrational insults that you throw so casually. Is it really any wonder that I laugh?"

"Lucas," Maya cut in. "I understand that you choose humor as an alternative to rage, but your attitude doesn't help the situation."

Lucas blinked. He imagined how he would feel if someone else laughed at his anger.

_Duster's a loser and laughing at his illogical words isn't wrong, but I should try to act better than that and show him the error of his ways amiably rather than mockingly._

"Thanks for pointing that out, Maya."

Maya blushed.

"Oh, it's nothing…"

"Don't devalue yourself, Maya. It doesn't help anyone, least of all yourself. You did _wonderfully _to point that out." Lucas turned back to Duster. "I am sorry for laughing. I can see that you have invested quite a bit of emotion into this encounter."

Duster seemed taken aback by Lucas' apology. He recovered quickly, squinting his eyes and staring intently at Lucas in what seemed to be a wary expression.

"Let's go back to what Maya said, shall we?" Lucas asked rhetorically. "She told us to stop fighting. I believe that presents us both an opportunity to back out and leave our pride intact. I strongly urge you to consider that choice of action."

Lucas didn't care about his pride, but Duster's… that man seemed to take pride to another level.

"No!" Duster shouted like a disgruntled child. "Do you think that you can just walk away after we started a fight?"

_Yes._

"Duster, please, look at the bigger picture."

Duster snarled.

"You always say that! Look at the bigger picture! Don't worry about your _own _problems, Duster, they're insignificant!" Duster finished in a satirical voice of Lucas.

Lucas felt rage start to regain control of his body. He had _never… _

_Why the hell do you two look like you're about to kill other? _Boney barked.

Startled, Lucas pivoted and saw Boney arriving at the scene. The dog sat down next to Maya, his head cocked in concern.

"Okay, now my _dog _swears more than I do," Lucas said. "You have officially been corrupted by Kumatora, Boney."

Boney shot a look at Lucas that seemed to say "meh."

"What did he say?" Duster demanded.

"He was just wondering why you two look so aggressive," Maya translated, bending down and petting Boney.

_Also… why does Duster look like he's trying to push out a turd? _Boney asked.

Lucas turned to gaze at Duster. He looked so intense_… _it really _did _look like he was trying to push out poop. Lucas struggled not to laugh.

"Boney says that it's nice to see you, Duster," Maya said sweetly, seeming unaffected by the dog's crude comment.

_Liar, _Boney barked.

"Oh, and right then he barked something that can't be translated to English," Maya continued. "It's a supportive gesture, though."

_Please, Maya… _

"Really?" Duster asked.

_Hell no! _Boney barked.

"He says yes," Maya answered. "And I hate to seem like I'm being subtle when I'm really not, but he also says that he would really appreciate it if you two didn't fight."

_Maya, you're ruining my reputation! _Boney barked. _Now everyone is going to think that I'm hopelessly emotional!_

Maya shot Boney an uncaring look.

"Well," Lucas said, trying not to act pretentious, "I think that we should at least hold off on fighting, Duster. Everyone else would appreciate it if two of the world's strongest warriors didn't butt heads."

Duster looked more reluctant in his disgust this time. _Well, I guess that's progress… _Lucas thought.

_Lucas, tell Duster that he's being a stubborn asshole, _Boney barked.

"Boney says that he really wants you and Lucas to be friends again," Maya said. "I think that you mean a lot to him."

_Damn it, Maya! _Boney barked.

"Lucas," Duster started after a pause. "Do you remember those days that we spent together right after the world had been reborn? You acted so upbeat and determined… nobody resist smiling when you were around. You always helped everyone that you could, and you inspired everyone that you met with your idealistic words."

Lucas thought that he heard Maya mumble something about Claus, but that couldn't be. After all, she didn't know who Claus even was!

"I… do remember that," Lucas admitted.

"You've changed," Duster said simply.

"Yes, but change is not necessarily bad."

"I'm not saying that it is. _Your _change, however, was nothing but destructive."

_Hypocrite, _Boney barked.

Duster looked sharply at the dog.

"Boney is just interested to see where this is heading," Maya said. "Don't mind him."

_Maya… _Boney barked the equivalent of a groan. _Lucas, help me out here. _

Lucas ignored Boney and motioned for Duster to continue, trying not to let his indignant anger show.

"Okay…" Duster continued. "The Lucas that I knew is gone. You're just a cold, hollow shell of your former self." Duster paused, reading Lucas' incredulous face like a book. "Yes, I know that the same phrases may truthfully be applied to me, but _your _fall caused everything, Lucas!"

_Drama queen, _Boney barked.

"Okay," Lucas said, trying to choke down his anger. "Would you mind elaborating on 'my fall?' I don't see what I did that was wrong."

Duster looked into Lucas' soul with his icy eyes.

"There were many instances. People came to you for support and you denied them, getting too caught up in your philosophy to _help _people. You spent full days deliriously walking around Osohe Castle, mumbling about new policies. You became a politician, Lucas!"

_Lucas, would you please tell Duster that he's a drama queen? _Boney barked.

"Shh," Maya hushed Boney.

"But the final straw was when you announced your marriage with Kumatora," Duster continued.

"What do you have against such a marriage?" Lucas asked, genuinely confused.

"It was an offensive affair! How am I the only one that sees the truth of this matter?"

"You mean our age?" Lucas asked. "I agree that 16 is a bit young to marry someone, but-"

"Not that!" Duster interrupted. "Your marriage was _political, _Lucas_._ Do you not see anything wrong with that?"

A chill went down Lucas' spine.

_So someone else worried about that, _Lucas thought, _And far more than I did, by the looks of it._

"You didn't, did you?" Duster demanded. "All that you thought about was the greater good, the good of the society as a whole. But that's not what you preached during those days when you inspired everyone. You said that we would all be free to pursue _whatever we wanted, _so long as we were good people and cared for others. Your marriage contradicts that fundamental principle!"

_Pursue whatever we wanted… _Lucas groaned.

"You fell in love with Kumatora, didn't you?" Lucas inquired. "And now this is a cheesy love triangle that results in irrational-"

"This isn't a love triangle because you don't love her and she doesn't love you!" Duster shouted. "Kumatora and I were happy with each other, Lucas… and then you snatched her away from me!"

Lucas resisted the urge to let out another groan.

"If I 'snatched her away from you,' then why did she propose to me?" Lucas asked.

"Wait, Kumatora proposed to you?" Maya cut in. "That's… weird."

_Still happy that I said that you were like Lucas? _Boney asked.

Wait… Maya felt _happy _that she was like him? Lucas turned to look at Maya, who blushed furiously.

_Maybe… _Lucas thought, _Maybe_ _she still admires me. _

That meant more to Lucas than it probably should have.

"It is weird," Lucas answered Maya. "However, Kumatora has always been more likely to take action than I. She knew that I would stall the decision as long as possible if she didn't ask."

Lucas turned back to Duster, who looked at him in disbelief.

"No…" Duster whispered. "You lie…"

"Well, I guess that I don't have any way to prove my words, since Kumatora isn't here…" Lucas trailed off as he noticed a twinge of guilt on Duster's face.

"You know where Kumatora is, don't you?" Lucas asked.

"What if I do?" Duster responded. "What will you do then?"

_Punch his smug face? _Boney offered.

"It depends on what you did to her," Lucas answered. "However, I would prefer to finish discussing our current issue. Even if I lie and Kumatora did not propose to me, she still accepted. No matter what, half of the blame lies on her."

"I _did _blame her!" Duster shouted.

_Who does he not blame? _Boney barked.

"Hush," Maya whispered.

"All right, glad to have that cleared up," Lucas continued. "Here's my next question: why didn't you talk to me about this? I had no idea that Kumatora meant so much to you."

Duster looked startled, as if he had never considered the possibility of talking to Lucas.

"Even if you had known, you wouldn't have changed your plans," Duster argued reluctantly.

"I would deny that accusation, but you would doubtless call me a liar once more," Lucas replied. "So let's say that you're right. Still, why did it take you two years to talk to me?"

"I…" Duster fished for words and found none.

_He doesn't even have an excuse? _Lucas thought. _Wow…_

_Yeah, you show him, Luc! _Boney barked.

"Because, Duster," Lucas said, walking up and putting a hand on his former friend's shoulder. "I fretted about the prospect of entering a political marriage too. It… made me feel like a hypocrite. But everyone that I knew endorsed the idea. If you had just _told _me, then I don't think that I would have let the marriage go through."

Duster's eyes shot wide open in surprise.

"No…" he whispered. "You lie…"

"Look at my face and tell me that I'm lying!" Lucas shouted. "You know that I've always been an atrocious lair. Surely you can spot a lie if there is one!"

Duster gritted his teeth and looked into Lucas' eyes.

"Nothing," Duster said with a defeated sigh. "You… must be telling the truth. That means that it's my fault that Kumatora left me and not anyone else's."

_Take that, sucker! _Boney barked.

Lucas gritted his teeth, trying to ignore his pesky dog.

"What do I do now?" Duster asked. "The past two years have been fueled by my bitter rage. Now that I know that those emotions are not valid… what is left for me?"

"Duster."

That voice came from Maya, who walked up to Duster with an empathetic look.

"You comforted me during that long year when Nyna had just started bullying me. You made my life bearable for that year, Duster. Thank you for that."

Duster turned away.

"But I left you," he said. "I abandoned you and pursued my own troubles."

_Shame! _Boney barked. _Shame! Repent, sinner, repent!_

"Please shut up, Boney!" Lucas shouted. "You've been spouting worthless words during this entire conversation!"

"The lessons that you taught me stuck with me," Maya continued, ignoring Boney as she put a fist over her heart. "I just wanted to say that your words mean a lot to me. I think that for now, you should start with helping us take down Fassad and the chimeras. You'll have plenty of time to rediscover yourself after that! And trust me, you _will _rediscover yourself. Just look at how far I came in two years!"

Duster turned back to look at Maya.

"How… how did you change so much?" Duster asked.

"We all change more than we expect," Maya responded. "In ten years from now, you'll hardly be able to explain what caused you to attack Lucas. Just make sure that you change for the better!"

_Huh, _Lucas thought. _It's strange how she's been able to accumulate wisdom so quickly. Just yesterday, it seemed like she still had so far to go… I need to step up my game if I don't want to fall behind!_

"I… will try," Duster managed. He turned and pointed a finger at Lucas. "I still might hate you, but that can wait. After all, we'll have all of the time in the world to butt heads after we stop Fassad."

"Good enough," Lucas replied.

_…And I still think that you're an asshole, _Boney barked.

"And I still think that you should shut it, Boney," Lucas responded.

_…Killjoy._

"Hey, that's my line!" Maya shouted. "I could sue for copyright!"

_You can't copyright phrases._

"Yeah, well…" Maya trailed off. "Well… at least I don't have fleas all over my body."

_At least I don't smell like a garbage dump, _Boney retorted.

"Why don't both of you stop arguing?" Lucas offered.

Maya sighed.

"Your conversation makes _no _sense to someone like me who can't understand animals," Duster added.

_Duster sounds better when his voice isn't trying to break eardrums, _Boney barked.

"Maya, let's make a deal to ignore Boney for now," Lucas said, feeling exasperated.

"Deal," Maya agreed.

_No! _Boney barked. _Pay attention to me, damn it!_

"And Maya?" Lucas continued.

"Yeah?"

"I'm… sorry for what I did to you yesterday. Running away after yelling at you was the _worst _thing that I could have done."

_What's this? _Boney barked.

"Oh!" Maya exclaimed, looking embarrassed. "It's not a big deal. After all, I made a mistake by throwing sharp words at Nyna."

"What about those scratches on your arm?" Lucas asked.

"Oh, these…?" Maya responded as her cheeks flushed. "I… err…"

"You hurt yourself, didn't you?" Lucas probed gently. "You thought that my mistakes were _your _fault, so you did this to yourself."

"Um… maybe?"

"Oh, Maya, I am _so _sorry!" Lucas exclaimed.

"Please don't be!" Maya shouted. "That wasn't your fault!"

"But…"

"Yeah, I know that you made mistakes. But it was my choice to hurt myself. I could have dealt with it in a positive way, but I decided to inflict pain on myself instead. Sure, I was in a rough situation, but a mistake is a mistake regardless of background information. As you said before, don't take blame for things that you didn't do."

_She's right, _Lucas realized. _I made my mistakes… but Maya's reaction was her choice and nobody else's._

"Thanks, Maya," Lucas said, feeling a warm feeling rise through his body. "That means a lot to me. But don't forget that my mistakes did influence your actions. That may not make it my fault, but it does mean that you shouldn't be as hard on yourself."

"Don't worry!" Maya exclaimed. "I've gotten over my phase of self-hatred."

_Huh… I wonder how she changed so quickly, _Lucas thought.

"And Maya, thanks for keeping both me and Duster in check. I think that we wouldn't have been able to come to an agreement without you. Don't you agree, Duster?"

Duster nodded.

"Thank you for showing me what is truly important right now, Maya," he said. "And thanks for doing it… gently."

Maya blushed for what must have been the hundredth time that conversation.

_Hah! _Boney barked. _Saying stuff gently is for people who want to get things done!_

"Is that… supposed to be an insult?" Maya asked.

_Of course! _Boney replied. _After all, who wants to actually do stuff? _

"If you listen closely, you can hear fuses in his head blow," Lucas whispered to Maya like it was some sort of secret.

_Hey! My fuses work just fine!_

"He does know that the metaphorical assertion that his brain runs on fuses is an insult, right?" Maya asked.

"I think so," Lucas replied, "But it's hard to say for sure."

"As _fascinating_ as this conversation is," Duster interrupted in an uncaring voice, "Shouldn't we go to deal with the chimeras right about now?"

"Yeah… probably," Lucas admitted.

_…Killjoy, _Boney barked.

"Hey, that's my line!" Maya shouted for the second time.

Lucas rolled his eyes and followed Duster as he went into Tazmily towards the eastern forest where the chimeras marched.


	12. Chapter 12

**So, I had this AN all typed up on the site, and then my connection died and deleted everything. D: From now on, I'm doing these ANs in word. It sucks though, because my smilies turn into "J"s when I copy paste them into the editor. And of course I can't type an AN without smilies! Smiley emoticons are one of life's necessities, along with food, water, air, and shelter. ;)**

**So… yeah, I don't really feel like typing up all of that AN again. Honestly, none of it was important. Oh… there was one thing. Next chapter is climax, chapter after that is aftermath/resolution.**

**Well, enjoy!**

**Review Responses:**

**A Fan: ****Well, lightning moves at 300,000,000 m/s, so I doubt that Kristen could dodge it! :P Oh, she always kinda had that gun with her. She and Duster have some of New Pork's surviving technology (besides the stuff that she stole). That's how she got the cell phone. Thanks for commenting about Boney being different than in the game! I came up with an explanation that actually makes sense (at least, I think that it does).**

**As for Maya… no, I don't have any plans to use her in other fanfics. I dunno how interesting she would be (considering that she doesn't have a whole lot of development left), and I don't know how she would fit into any other plots… unless I decide to write a sequel to this fanfic. And Kristen gets a lot of space this chapter, so hopefully that accounts for some of the discrepancy. :)**

**Phoesong:****Thanks for reviewing this story! :D Well, you're not the only one who told me that they like Boney, so I don't think that it's weird. :) And I dunno why, but writing OCs never really felt hard to me. Expanding on characters with concrete personalities (like Claus and Lucas) has always been harder for me. Maybe I'm just weird. :x**

**PK Love Gamma:****Eric?**

**Just A Fan:****Well, I'm glad that you like where the plot is going! :) This chapter is a bit slower… next one is where the real action happens. As for Lucas… I'm going to say no, although I've never really thought about it. And yeah, Mother 3's ending was heartrending.**

**Silvereyer:****Thanks! :) I think it helps that I don't really view my OCs as being different from my other characters. It makes it easier for them to interact. :) And the Lucas x Kuma came out of nowhere while I was trying to add more personality to Kuma. xD Glad that you like it, though! :) Ah yes, Boney is ****_so _****much more fun as when he's snarky. :D**

**OrangeFlight of ShadowClan: ****Well, Kuma getting chained to a wall happened behind the scenes, so you didn't miss anything! :) And the Lucas x Kuma kinda spontaneously popped into existence. I don't know where, if anywhere, I'm going to take that.**

**I'm totally with you on the intimidation thing. D: Yeah… I was hoping that Duster's explanation would be less cheesy because he opposed Lucas' action on principle rather than just because of love, but I guess not. xD Hopefully Boney provided some deviation from the norm during that scene, though. Yeah… while there are a few things that I hate, hating things in general isn't really my thing. Makes me feel kinda like Atticus Finch from ****To Kill a Mockingbird.**** xD**

**I'll be looking forward to your review! :)**

* * *

Kristen sat on a lonely hill, looking at the carnage that surrounded her.

_I caused this, _she thought. _And I will continue to cause this. My role in society is to cause this._

Something about that made her feel sick.

Kristen knew that she should drag herself off of the ground and try to do something productive, but the conversation with Kumatora had popped her bubble, allowing a venomous darkness to seep into her heart. The queen's words hadn't been intended to destroy, certainly, but destroy they did.

After all, Kumatora herself admitted that all she could do was destroy.

_I should stand up and fight, _Kristen thought. _Sitting here doesn't help anyone, least of all me. _

Yes, she understood that logically, she should forget about her conversation with Kumatora and move on.

But it wasn't that easy.

Kristen had been driven by the prospect of a better world, a world in which progress and happiness could coexist. But she realized that her reasons were not completely philanthropic. She didn't want to just _create _a better world, she wanted to _live _in a better world.

And Kumatora had revealed that history's demolitionists such as Kristen tended to die early or fade away after a crisis ended.

Kristen gritted her teeth as she gazed at the broken shards of her dream. The ideals that had spurred her for so long no longer carried meaning.

After all, why destroy when rebuilding brings no satisfaction?

The stench of blood wafted into Kristen's nose, sickening her. _This is my burden, _she thought. _I will kill until I die. _

Kristen didn't think that most people understood what Kumatora had revealed to her just a few minutes ago. People didn't understand that change-makers like her would bring down the enemy and then gain no further satisfaction out of life.

_But, wait… _Kristen thought. _Not all demolitionists change the world for the better. In fact… most don't. _

Duster popped immediately into Kristen's mind. He had many of the properties that could qualify him as a change-maker. He was quick to act, quick to take charge, and completely steadfast in his beliefs. He would make a strong leader…

But would he make a good one?

_No, _Kristen thought. _Drake's attributes would inspire the masses, certainly. Most people admire someone who takes charge and does what they think is right, no matter what dissenters say. But his beliefs happen to be wrong._

_Just like… Porky._

A searing pain shot through Kristen's mind. Duster and Porky… _surely _they had little in common, right? But no… they both had extreme confidence in their righteousness, and they both took charge without a second thought. Those attributes allowed them to inspire those around them. Porky's pigmasks… the fascist propaganda… they all stemmed from Porky's catalytic properties. Porky jumped into his stupid little plans without a second thought. That lack of contemplation granted him an efficiency that allowed him to change the world in horrifying ways.

Just like Duster.

Just like Kumatora.

Just like Kristen.

_No! _Kristen thought, another flash of pain blinding her. _I'm not the same as Porky! I can't be… please tell me that I'm not… _

But they were. Kristen, just like Porky, tended to leap into action first and ask questions later. To many, this attribute seemed righteous and inspiring; to others, it seemed foolish and tyrannical. The drive that Kristen's lack of forethought granted her caused many in New Pork to look on in wonder, but caused others to throw disgusted looks in her direction. Porky's situation was no different. His followers viewed his impulsive, dedicated actions as the ultimate strength, while his enemies viewed them as the ultimate evil.

Was there _anything _that separated Kristen from Porky and Duster?

Yes… yes there was. Kristen's walked the path of righteousness while Porky and Duster walked the path of malice. But in the end, that difference between Kristen and those that she loathed was too close for comfort. After all, she could easily have been persuaded into following a different path.

She was the kind of person to fight for a cause without really understanding its full implications. This lack of knowledge lightened her load, but it also denied her the wisdom needed to know which side to support. This meant that she would fight for whatever beliefs were imprinted in her mind at an early age.

_Oh my god! _Kristen realized. _That's how cultists form! They act the same as I, but they were raised in different circumstances. And that's why Drake sometimes says stuff that makes about as much sense as cultist rhetoric. He doesn't actually think about what he's saying! He's a ball of emotion. The cultists are balls of emotion. I am a ball of emotion._

_We started out the same. If I had been through what Drake had, I would be the same as him._

That _terrified _Kristen. The fact that she could be the same as Duster if in a slightly different situation propelled her to her feet.

_To hell if I let that happen! Drake… you're misguided in your ways. Just like… Porky._

Kristen gulped. If one misguided kid could nearly destroy the world, what could Drake do if nobody stopped him?

_That will be my mission, _Kristen thought. _I will show Drake the error of his ways, and then we can change the world together, alongside Kumatora. After that, we may all fade away into oblivion… _

_But so long as I save someone from becoming another Porky, I think I can accept that._

* * *

Lucas ran through New Tazmily, not quite accepting the devastation around him.

_No, _Lucas thought, taking in with wide eyes the wreckage around him. _I let this happen… These houses belonged to my people._

"Hurry up!" Duster shouted. "We need to get to Fassad!"

"How did the chimeras manage to arrive at New Tazmily?" Lucas asked hopelessly. "I worked so hard to keep them from passing…"

"Some of them must have found another way around you," Duster replied callously. "But that doesn't matter. Let's _go!_"

_Hmph, _Lucas thought. _You don't know how it feels to carry the weight of an entire society on your shoulders. _

"Lucas," Maya whispered. "You did all that you could to stop the chimeras from reaching this town. Do not beat yourself up for what you did. Now that they have arrived, you can only try to prevent further damage."

"But Maya," Lucas replied helplessly. "I just feel so _guilty._"

Maya smiled, giving light to the scene of ruin around them.

"I know what you mean. I really do, Lucas. You feel that you have to wallow in guilt because you deserve to suffer."

_Ooh! _Boney barked. _Can I join in this self-pity session? _

"I do," Lucas replied, ignoring Boney. "I have the responsibility to protect this town, and I failed. That does not weight lightly on my mind."

"And it shouldn't," Maya replied, her voice soft yet determined, "But let that weight become a strength rather than a weakness."

"How?" Lucas asked. "Whenever I look at the destruction around me, I just want to give up."

"Think about it, Lucas. The chimeras that caused this still run free. They could do this again."

Lucas gritted his teeth. As the protector of New Tazmily, Lucas could _not _let that happen.

"You are right, of course," he responded with a sigh. "I must keep going. I don't know why I cannot feel the determination that carried me through my quest five years ago."

"You and I are the same, Lucas," Maya whispered. "We would rather fight for a better tomorrow than to avoid a worse one."

Lucas blinked.

_My idealism carried me through my journey to pull the seven needles because there was so much to gain, _Lucas realized. _In this neutral-lose situation, the prospect of a neutral outcome doesn't inspire me._

"Kumatora always could push through situations like this," Lucas reminisced out loud, "While I always struggled. She could see a world made of dung and slime and fight to keep it from descending further. I could never force myself to do that. I wish… that she were here with me right now."

"She really means a lot to you, huh?" Maya asked softly.

"I didn't realize it, but I guess so…"

_Guys! _Boney barked. _I'm not usually the voice of reason, but we should probably get a move on. Duster already left a while ago and chimeras are still on the loose._

"Oh man…" Lucas said, faking horror. "Maya, we just lost to the logic of _Boney._"

Maya gasped dramatically.

"I'm not sure how I can live with myself…"

_Hilarious, _Boney barked. _Now let's go! _

Lucas laughed and took off.

"Lucas!" Maya shouted, running along. "This might be a dumb question, but couldn't you just teleport us to Fassad?"

Lucas shook his head.

"I have no idea where he is. At this point, starting the search from another point in New Tazmily would yields no real benefits."

_And I want to go through the center of town so that I can check on my people… _Lucas thought

"Then we should split up," Maya argued. "We can cover more ground that way."

"Will you be safe?" Lucas asked.

"Boney can come with me," Maya explained. "He's tougher than I, so he can take most of the punishment while I blast from the back lines."

_Thanks, Maya, _Boney barked sarcastically. _I just love eating attacks, preferably with a dash of pain on the side._

Lucas nodded.

"Keep her safe, Boney," Lucas ordered.

_Yeah, yeah, you don't have to obsess about everyone else's safety so much, _Boney barked. _We do care about you, too. Be sure to come out of this alive, okay? As much as I make fun of you, I don't know what I would do if I lost you. _

Lucas blinked. He hadn't expected such a heartfelt stream of words from Boney. His heart welled with joy.

_Man, it really matters to have friends who truly care. Maybe the prospect of keeping the world from descending further doesn't inspire me, but the feelings of those that I care about certainly can!_

"Okay," Lucas agreed, feeling for the first time in years that he truly had a reason to live.

* * *

_I detect chimeras ahead, _Boney barked.

"All right," Maya replied, trying not to let her anxiety show. "Should we wait here to ambush them, or…?"

_Wait, there's a human up ahead, _Boney barked. _I can tell because it smells worse than the chimeras._

Maya snorted.

"That spells trouble."

_Thanks, captain obvious. _

"You're welcome!" Maya replied in fake elation. "Seriously, though, we should help."

_On it, _Boney barked and took off.

"PK Run!" Maya shouted and dashed past Boney.

Maya turned a corner and came face to face with a robotic lion. It growled metallically as its synthetic eyes flashed with zeal.

"AAAH!" Maya screamed, unable to do anything else in her state of terror.

Boney jumped forward and bit the mecha-lion, drawing its attention away from her. The chimera snarled and bit Boney back. Maya shivered as she saw its robotic fangs sink into Boney's flesh, and then stared in wonder as he didn't seem to be hurt at all after the lion released its grip.

_A little help here? _Boney barked.

"Right!" Maya shouted, awakening from her shock. "PK Freeze Beta!"

The mecha-lion growled as ice encased its body, shattering after a split second. The chimera turned its ravenous gaze over to Maya.

_Oh my… _

The mecha-lion swung its tail at Maya. Boney leapt in to intercept the attack, latching onto the mecha-lion's tail. The chimera then drove the tail's point into Boney's mouth.

_Damn! _Boney whimpered. _I forgot about that tail! Stupid poison… _

"Poison?" Maya asked in horror.

_Fight now, talk later, _Boney replied.

Maya nodded, realizing that he was right.

"PK Freeze Beta!" she shouted once more, another layer of ice appearing over the mecha-lion's body.

Boney leapt into combat once more, exchanging blows with the chimera. The two danced around each other, both trying to land attacks without creating openings in their defensive walls. Maya took this opportunity to repeatedly use PK Freeze. The mecha-lion eventually seemed to recognize that it had to deal with Maya, and leapt at her as a result. However, Boney matched its leap, both of them colliding midair. They rolled down to the ground, both of them savagely attacking the other.

Maya darted forward, hoping to provide a distraction.

_No! _Boney barked. _Stay back! _

Maya wanted to engage the chimera, but she couldn't deny Boney's expertise in the realm of combat. She jumped back, the extra power that PK Run gave her legs allowing her to bound further backwards than she had expected… and just in time to avoid the mecha-lion's fiery breath. Flames roared in the empty space that used to contain her body.

_Phew! _Maya thought. She could probably psionic stall and heal herself if anything bad happened… but the prospect of danger still terrified her.

Boney landed in a couple of bites on the chimera, as the mecha-lion's breath attack had left it open. At this point, both Boney and the chimera looked severely hurt.

"PK Freeze Beta!" Maya shouted yet again, hoping that the attack would be enough to finish the chimera off.

The mecha-lion took the attack in stride, turning around and spearing Boney with its tail. The dog howled in pain.

_I forgot how much fighting sucks! _Boney barked.

"Boney, come here!" Maya shouted, unable to keep the panic out of her voice.

Boney looked at Maya curiously.

"Just do it!"

Boney gave the equivalent of a shrug and bounded towards Maya.

"Lifeup Beta!" Maya shouted, touching Boney as her ability wove into Boney's flesh and healed his wounds.

No sooner had she healed Boney than the mecha-lion charged forward again. With a war cry, Boney sprung forward and landed a critical bite on the chimera's face.

_Now! _Maya thought.

"PK Freeze Beta!"

The mecha-lion's eyes widened as ice encased it yet again. After the ice shattered, the chimera fell to the ground.

_We killed it! _Boney barked.

"Thanks for taking all of the attacks," Maya said, feeling her body relax as fatigue set in.

_Heh, well if I let you get hurt, Lucas would get pissed. _

"So… you only protected me because Lucas told you to?"

_Nah, I'm teasing. I do care about you, Maya. And I have more combat experience, so it's only natural that I should take all of the attacks. You would wilt like a flower if that lion got its paws on you…_

Maya wanted to shout a retort but realized that Boney's logic actually made sense. That was a first.

_Do you have PK Healing? _Boney barked. _This poison is really irritating me._

"No, sorry…"

_Well, it's not really your fault that you don't know a specific move. Maybe we should try to get to Lucas…_

Suddenly, Maya heard a scream from around a corner.

"Let's go!" Maya shouted.

_You don't have to tell me, _Boney barked.

The two companions turned yet another corner to see a snake with a chicken's head pecking at Nyna. The chimera had drawn blood; Nyna carried multiple wounds on her abdominal area and arms. Maya locked eyes with the bully.

"Maya!" Nyna shouted. "Run! This thing looks silly, but it knocked out some of my friends… what are you waiting for? Get the hell out of here!"

Maya blinked, not quite believing what she heard. Nyna was in danger herself, and she told Maya to _run? _That didn't seem like something that she would normally do…

"PK Freeze Beta!" Maya yelled. The slitherhen fell dead on the spot.

Nyna's jaw dropped and her eyes widened in wonder and fear as she regarded Maya.

"You can use… PSI?" she asked stupidly.

"Astute observation," Maya replied with a smile that betrayed none of the hostility that she felt.

"I… thanks for saving me," Nyna said, still looking terrified.

"You're welcome," Maya replied, feeling some of her anger fizzle out.

_She's not half as insufferable now that she isn't so damn pretentious, huh? _Boney barked.

Maya agreed but gave no indication that she understood Boney's words. Nyna took a step away from Maya, holding her hands up defensively.

"Er… Maya?"

"Yes?"

"If you knew PSI, why did you let me bully you?"

"Lucas told me to avoid using PSI except in the case of an emergency."

"Still, though… weren't you bitter about what I did to you?"

"Yes," Maya answered. "I still am, actually."

Nyna's eyes widened further.

"I'm… sorry, Maya."

Maya turned away.

"Don't apologize out of fear, Nyna. It doesn't help anyone. If you want to apologize, be sincere."

Nyna raised an eyebrow.

"You would just _let _me walk away without an apology?" she asked incredulously.

"If I don't, I'm no better than you are," Maya replied curtly.

"I… I never looked at it that way," Nyna said. "I always thought that if other people did something, it was okay for me to follow suit."

"That's nice."

"Maya."

The sincerity of that single word caused Maya to look back. Nyna stared at her feet, biting her lip as she struggled to force words out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Maya. I really am."

Maya smiled.

"I'm not sure that I can sincerely forgive you yet," she replied. "You hurt me too much. But… I can accept you now. I don't forgive you, but I don't have to hate you, either. So long as you try to keep improving, I think that we could erase all of the hostility between us. But that healing takes time."

Nyna smiled back.

"So honest… thank you, Maya."

"You're welcome. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some more chimeras to hunt down."

Maya turned away and walked off.

_You handled that rather well, _Boney barked.

"I think that I just had to be myself," Maya explained. "After I realized that I'm actually a somewhat likeable person, showing my true colors became far easier. After all, why should I lie about who I am? Throwing Nyna's apology back into her teeth would prove to myself that I cannot rise above my bitterness, while seeming falsely sweet in my acceptance would give her yet another reason to walk over me."

_You really do sound like Lucas, _Boney mused.

Maya swelled with joy at that comment. She sounded like Lucas…

There was no better compliment in the world.

* * *

Kristen felt exhausted as she walked up to Kumatora.

"Got over your internal crisis?" Kumatora asked, not unkindly.

The queen of New Tazmily regarded Kristen with concerned eyes. That made her feel uncomfortable. Nobody had really _cared _about her before. In New Pork, and later with Duster, Kristen had lived in a world where a person's uses trumped all else. Problems, worries, feelings… garbage, every last one of them. But then she had met Lucas and Kumatora.

Kristen hadn't consciously picked up on the fact that Lucas cared about her as a person rather than a criminal in need of arrest, but she must have noticed it on a subconscious level. That had made Kristen even madder at Lucas, although she didn't know why. Maybe it was because she _wanted _to be mad at him for acting the tyrant, so she became even angrier when he failed to meet her expectations.

And then there was Kumatora. Kristen had never liked the queen of Tazmily, and Kumatora had returned those feelings without reservation. Neither of them really wanted to be around the other, and both of them knew it.

And yet Kumatora still cared about Kristen. That felt strange in ways that Kristen hadn't thought possible.

"Yeah," Kristen replied. "I feel fine now."

"I'm sorry for breaking that to you," Kumatora said sincerely. "I think that you would have been happier in ignorance."

Kristen pursed her lips and closed her eyes.

"No," she replied after a pause. "No, you were right to tell me what you did. It devastated me, true, but it would have devastated me more if I had found out after our crisis."

Kumatora nodded curtly.

"That takes a certain level of strength to admit," the queen complimented, looking out at the sunrise on the horizon. "It is difficult to overcome ourselves, no?"

A few minutes ago, Kristen wouldn't have known what that meant. But now, the truth of those words produced a weary sigh from her taxed body.

"Do you think that it's possible to overcome our natural role in society?" Kristen asked. "Do you think that we could thrive in a peaceful civilization if we tried hard enough?"

Kumatora looked at Kristen in an expression of mild surprise.

"You ask me, knowing how brutally honest I can be?"

"I want to hear your true thoughts, Kumatora."

Kumatora nodded, seeming to understand the irrational drive to find the truth.

"To an extent, yes," Kumatora answered. "I don't think that we'll ever be likeable and progressive like Lucas, but we can definitely live happily in a constructive society if we want to. Our greatest challenge… is to overcome our fixed notions of how the world should be."

"What do you mean?"

"You have a specific idea of the world that you want to craft," Kumatora responded. It was not a question.

"I… yes," Kristen admitted.

Looking at it, her view of the perfect world was cold and impersonal. That… didn't seem like it would fit everyone. However, the thought of accepting anything else made Kristen feel uncomfortable.

"Even if we win, the world isn't going to be like how you envision it," Kumatora continued. "People like Lucas will create societies that are frankly better than the ones that we have planned in our minds. That makes us bitter."

Kristen nodded. She could see that… how after she had averted a crisis, things still wouldn't be how she wanted them to be. Regular people would go on with their lives, but catalysts like Kristen would remain stuck in their unfulfilled ideas.

"Nothing is ever good enough for us," Kristen realized out loud. "The reason that we try to propagate change is that we want _more, _but even after that, satisfaction will elude us."

Kumatora nodded sadly.

"Even after we rebuild, things aren't as good as they _could be_," she picked up, "But of course we don't want to destroy the society that we ourselves created. So we just… fade away in our bitterness."

"Wow," Kristen whispered.

"We are perfectionists by nature," Kumatora explained. "That gives us the drive to fight against the imperfect, but it never allows us to be satisfied with society's current state."

"So to exist in a peaceful civilization, we have to drop our perfectionist nature?" Kristen asked.

"Yes," Kumatora affirmed. "To destroy, we have to aim higher than we will ever be able to reach. After all, if we only wanted to make things _better _rather than making them _perfect, _we would find smaller ways to improve the world. To make a large impact, we have to reach for the stars. Then we fall short and hit the moon. Still a miraculous achievement… but it isn't enough for us. We wanted to grasp the stars. At that point, we have to accept our loss and realize that our perfect little societies will _never _exist."

"How in the world did you come up with all of this?" Kristen asked.

"I told you," Kumatora answered with a smirk. "Lucas corrupted me with his _thinking._"

Kristen matched Kumatora's smile. It felt good to talk to someone who truly understood how she felt.

"Kumatora, are you done talking?" a man asked.

Kristen turned around, noticing him for the first time. He wore a cowboy hat, a vest, and boots that made all him look gruff. His calm, deadpan face only added to the effect. He seemed like someone with a long fuse but a large explosion radius.

"Oh, hello, Flint," Kumatora answered.

"Flint?" Kristen asked. "You're Lucas' father?"

Flint nodded.

"But blood relationships don't mean all that much. After all, I don't want to be remembered as just a father of a hero."

His mouth twitched upwards to form an amused smile. That seemed like a monumental display of emotion from someone like him. Even after only knowing him for a few seconds, Flint seemed rather… stoic.

"Flint here is a strong leader who understands people," Kumatora explained. "To be honest, he should probably be the one in charge of this village."

"You undervalue yourself, Kumatora," Flint responded. "Between you and Lucas, this town does quite well."

_Well, until now, _Kristen thought.

"Whatever," Kumatora responded with a shrug. "I guess I should get to the point, huh? Flint here leads the villagers."

Kumatora pointed to the group of people huddled in the distance.

"Many of those people are discouraged, and rightfully so," Kumatora continued. "After all, a few of them lost limbs and more chimeras will come."

"Can… PSI restore broken limbs?" Kristen asked.

Kumatora sighed.

"Not yet. I know that Lucas is working on a way…"

"Wouldn't it be easier to use prosthetic limbs?" Kristen asked. "That's what Duster does."

"Easier, yes. But people here in New Tazmily are terrified of technology."

"You have to understand that New Pork's technology ravaged us," Flint added. "On the day that money was introduced, the people of this town lost a little bit of their liveliness."

_Money isn't inherently bad, _Kristen thought but remained silent.

"I… just don't see how PSI advancements are any safer than technological ones," Kristen said softly, feeling worried that she would anger Flint.

"You sounded just like Lucas there," Flint replied. "He always talked with me about big issues like that."

"He talked about that with me as well," Kumatora added.

_Huh… Lucas seems to truly understand the dangers of the power that he possesses._

Kristen wasn't sure why that surprised her so much.

"I think that we've let ourselves wander off of track again," Kumatora spoke up. "So I'll try to stick with the program. Basically, we want all of the weapons that you have in that backpack for the townspeople to use. Flint will lead the people who want to fight into battle. Fassad hasn't appeared yet, so we can only assume that more chimeras will come."

"…Oh."

Kristen didn't know what else to say. She felt a certain attachment to the goods that she stolen, but the lives of innocent people obviously took precedence…

"Please, be reasonable with this one," Flint said. "We need proper weapons if we want to defend ourselves."

"…All right," Kristen agreed reluctantly. Why was that so hard for her?

"Thanks," Kumatora said. "I know how hard it can be to swallow stubborn pride."

Was that it? Did stubborn pride cause her to resist? …Kristen supposed that it did. She opened the bag and started pulling out all of the weapons that they could find, mostly guns that the pigmasks used.

"It impresses me that some of the people here want to fight the chimeras," Kristen said.

Kumatora snorted.

"It's not really impressive," she replied in contempt. "Most of them are stubborn men that are so aghast at the fact that their queen fights that they feel pressured to do the same."

"That's not totally fair, Kumatora," Flint responded without malice. "Many of them truly want to see New Tazmily protected."

"No, it's that they couldn't take the guilt if they saw it fall without trying to do anything. I'm not judging them for that; I fight partly for the same reasons that they do. I just don't think that it's impressive in any way."

Flint shrugged.

"It doesn't really matter."

"Agreed," Kumatora responded instantly. "In war, we are all statistics. We are all tools. Reasons lose their edge."

"So bitter…" Flint mused.

"Not bitterness so much as… acceptance," Kumatora countered. "Lucas agrees. He said that in war, we as humans can't afford to bear the pain of looking at each individual death, so we… stop caring as much as we should and look at deaths from a larger scale as a result."

_That's pretty scary, _Kristen thought.

But it made sense. One death was horrifying. A thousand deaths were more horrifying… but not a thousand times as horrifying.

"Hmm…" Kristen mused. "It seems that style of thinking reveals a fundamental error in the workings of our mind. If war really is so terrible, shouldn't we have been created to recognize that?"

Kumatora shrugged.

"Maybe, but it doesn't matter _why _we don't understand the atrocities that we commit. We just do."

"So now that we've heard a plethora of ways to interpret your cynicism about war," Flint cut in, "Would you mind handing over those weapons?"

Kristen nodded and looked at all of the guns that she had pulled out and set on the ground.

"Uh… there are a lot of these. Would you mind just having people come over here and pick them up?"

"No problem."

"Always the soldier, Flint," Kumatora said. "You can't let us have our nerdy conversation in peace?"

"I don't know why you would want to act nerdy in the first place," Flint countered.

Kumatora sighed.

"That phrase isn't an insult anymore. Just like it's okay for women to fight."

_Where did that come from? _Kristen wondered.

"Kumatora, you know how I feel about that issue," Flint replied. "It's okay for you to fight because of your PSI, but most women are frankly most useful doing other jobs."

"Hmph," Kumatora huffed. "Whatever. Most of the women here are a bunch of cowards anyway. I just fear that you can't accept new ideas."

Flint smiled.

"You know, you put up _much _less of a fight about that than Lucas. His stance on gender roles is even more liberal than yours, Kumatora."

"Yeah… he convinced me of a bunch of egalitarian crap. Lucas can make _anything _sound reasonable."

Flint smiled.

"That's my son… I don't know where he got his persuasiveness from."

"Still though," Kristen piped in, "I feel like adding more women to combat could be feasible with these guns. They don't require much strength to use."

"I think that the patriarchal sentiments ingrained in this conservative culture propose a larger barrier," Kumatora explained.

Flint nodded.

"I think that most men in this town would consider it to be an affront to their pride if they were forced to fight next to a woman."

"Basically, they're a bunch of stubborn assholes," Kumatora said.

Flint shrugged.

"However you choose to look at it, aggravating those people right now would not yield positive results."

_Ah, _Kristen thought. _He's not actually sexist; he just worries about angering those that are._

Kristen blinked as she suddenly realized that she was holding some kind of… tooth in her hand. It looked like it belonged to a dinosaur.

"What do you have there?" Flint asked, his hard tone causing Kristen to flinch.

"I… don't know," Kristen answered, showing Flint the tooth.

"That's… a drago fang," Flint said sadly.

Kumatora gasped.

"A what?" Kristen asked.

"A drago fang," Flint repeated. "Dragos are dinosaur-like reptiles who are normally peaceful, but…"

"But what?"

"But one of them killed my wife," Flint said, turning away. "It wasn't in a proper state of mind, but to this day, I cannot stop myself from _hating _them."

"I'm… sorry," Kristen offered.

Flint shook his head.

"It's okay. It happened eight years ago, after all."

"But the tertiary effects carry to this day," Kumatora added. "Lucas is still devastated by that… and Claus…" a single tear came to each of Kumatora's eyes.

"Oh man… I didn't know," Kristen said.

"It's fine," Flint reassured. "Life goes on."

"So… I assume that you don't want the fang?" Kristen asked.

Flint nodded.

"You keep it."

Kristen, Flint, and Kumatora stood there in an awkward silence.

"I'm thinking about trying to hunt down Fassad," Kumatora suddenly announced. "Do you think that my idea holds merit, Flint?"

"Hm… I suppose that you could… I guess I don't see why not, so long as you understand the potential consequences."

"Thanks," Kumatora replied with a smile. "It's nice to get confirmation from either you or Lucas to make sure I'm not doing anything _particularly _stupid."

"I want to come with you," Kristen announced without thinking.

"I'm not going to say no," Kumatora replied after a pause, "But Fassad is _dangerous. _I can't promise that I'll always be there to heal you. I'm an impulsive idiot, and even I wouldn't go with me-"

"I want to come with you," Kristen repeated.

"…All right," Kumatora conceded. "Let's go."

Kristen blinked.

"You're not going to try to fight me on this one? Duster _always…_"

"I'm not Duster," Kumatora responded. "I think that you're an idiot, but even idiots have the right to make their own decisions. Just don't blame me if die."

Kristen sighed in relief. Not having to fight back on this issue was quite refreshing.

"Why don't more people think like that?" Kristen asked.

"I don't know," Kumatora replied. "Honestly, I didn't until Lucas taught me to."

_Lucas… that kid sure gets around._

"Good luck," Flint said, waving as Kristen and Kumatora headed out to search for Fassad. "And try to come back in one piece, all right?"

"You always have the perfect words to calm our nerves, Flint!" Kumatora shouted back sarcastically.

"All right," Kristen said, her resolve turning to iron. "Let's do this."

Kumatora shot Kristen the smile of a huntress as a response.

* * *

"So… what should we do?" Maya asked.

_Well, we could sit here accomplishing nothing like we've been doing for the past few minutes, _Boney barked. _That sounds rather productive._

Maya sighed.

"There just doesn't seem to be anything to _do_."

_Yeah, so we should wait here and accomplish nothing._

"You are the laziest dog I've ever met; do you know that?" May asked, unable to keep a grin from spreading on her face.

_Well, not all of us can be so stinking perfect and hardworking. I prefer to think of myself as… discerning in my endeavors._

Maya snorted.

"That's just a fancy way of saying 'lazy.'"

_All depends on how you look at it._

"No, it really doesn't."

_Maya, I thought that you were supposed to be open-minded! Isn't my interpretation of those words as good as yours?_

Maya laughed.

"You have _so many _excuses for your laziness!"

Boney sniffed.

_You two just don't understand the meaning of "discerning in my endeavors."_

"I think that the problem is that we understand it too well and you know it."

_…Maybe._

Maya stuck her tongue out in victory.

_Stop acting so smug, _Boney barked.

"Sorry," Maya said unapologetically. "I wasn't trying to be smug. To put it in terms that you would understand, I was just… expressing my correctness with the appropriate gesture."

Boney snorted in derision.

"Still," Maya said. "What should we _do?_"

_Maybe I'll think if you stop nagging me._

Maya rolled her eyes.

_What? _Boney barked. _At least I'm actually thinking; you just complain. _

"I shudder at the realization that _you _just said that to _me _rather than the other way around."

_But you're not shuddering._

Maya sighed.

"It's an expression, okay?"

_No, it really isn't, _Boney barked.

"Whatever. The point is-"

_I get the point, _Boney barked. _It's hilarious. Now will you be quiet and let me think?_

"No."

Boney shot Maya a flat look. She couldn't help but break into laughter.

_This was your idea, I might add, _Boney barked.

"Yeah, whatever," Maya replied offhandedly.

_That's a confession._

"Huh? No it isn't."

_When people say "whatever" like that, it means that they know that they erred but they're too stubborn to admit it._

Maya blinked as she realized that Boney was actually _right. _

"You aren't as dumb as you act, huh?" Maya asked playfully.

Boney stiffened. His normally vibrant face turned downcast, and his head drooped as if it held a sack of boulders.

_What? _Maya thought in worry. _Did I say something wrong…?_

"Is everything all right?" Maya asked.

_Yes, _Boney barked icily.

He sure didn't _seem _all right.

"Boney…"

_What? _Boney snapped.

"What did I say to offend you?"

Boney turned away.

"Boney, please…"

_It's not your fault, Maya, _Boney barked. _It's just something that I get sensitive about._

"Please explain, Boney," Maya begged.

Silence.

"Please, let me in!"

_Why do you care? _Boney asked.

"Why do I care? You probably saved my life a dozen times when we fought the mecha-lion! And even if you hadn't… I still care about how you feel."

_I swear, Lucas must have said those exact words to me…_

_Even the part about the mecha-lion? _Maya wanted to ask but bit her tongue.

Boney turned around and looked at Maya with pained eyes.

_My struggles… will seem trivial to you._

"I don't think that they will," Maya replied, more determination than she expected flowing into her words. "You're talking to someone who almost attempted suicide multiple times for being bullied."

_You… did? _

"Yeah, and it seems dumb now. So please, tell me what you went through. If you really don't want to then I won't pressure you further, but I think that it will feel better if you get it out."

Boney's head rose a bit.

_…All right. I started out as a hunting dog._

Boney looked up to Maya, who motioned for him to continue.

_Flint was a good master, for the most part, but he said some… hurtful things that he didn't think that I would understand. He kept calling me stupid, saying how I was the runt of the litter and that he should have picked another dog to use for hunting… he didn't mean those words seriously, and he didn't intend to hurt me. Like I said, he had no idea that I could understand him. But still… his words still wounded me. So… I reacted acutely when you called me stupid because you sounded too much like him. See, my problems are silly, aren't they?_

"No," Maya whispered.

_What?_

"They're not silly. I know exactly what you mean."

_…You do? _Boney barked.

"Yeah… how you want to love Flint, but he's _hurting _you and he doesn't even know it. You know that you shouldn't feel so bad about his words, but they still sting. This makes you feel guilty, like _you're _at fault. Because if Flint means well, then the problem must be _you, _right? And then you feel horrible about yourself because _you're _the problem and you want to talk about it with Flint but you can't because he _hurts _you. You feel trapped and helpless, like your only way out is to hurt yourself."

_Maya… you do get it, _Boney barked. Maya detected both sorrow and joy in his voice. _How did you know?_

"I… have similar issues with my parents," Maya admitted.

_I guess we came from quite similar backgrounds, then. But… we differ in how we deal with our self-hatred. You tried to hurt yourself; I tried to become someone who I'm not. I tried to get smarter. I tried to work harder. But it was never enough. In the end, I guess that I just… gave up._

Maya's eyes widened.

"And after you gave up… you acted lazy and illogical because you figured that it must be true! You figured that if you tried your hardest and didn't achieve results, you really were as dumb as they all said. That's why you blurt out illogical phrases upon whim! After being beaten down for trying to be smart and work hard, you tried to make the best out of being lazy and stupid."

Boney looked at Maya in wonder.

_I didn't even realize all of that until now, _he barked. _How did you pick up on all of that?_

Maya blushed.

"I… guess Lucas must have rubbed off on me."

Boney snorted.

_You sure it's not the other way around? Lucas almost got out a notebook to write down your tips when you dealt with Duster._

Maya blushed further. Something about Lucas taking tips from _her_ seemed surreal… and wonderful.

_Regardless, _Boney barked, _You are right. My… act that I put on results from my failure to attain approval. I'm a sad excuse for an dog, aren't I?_

"Boney," Maya said. "I don't know if you realize this, but your general attitude is _awesome._"

Boney blinked.

_…That's not funny, Maya._

"Who's laughing?"

_That doesn't mean anything. Most people don't laugh at their own jokes in the first place._

"Yeah, well, that wasn't a joke! I think that you're a wonderful friend, Boney. Even if I don't show it, your snarky attitude makes me smile on the inside."

_…Really?_

"Yes! Ask Lucas! As much as we roll our eyes, we really appreciate who you are. You tend to lighten the situation when it needs to happen. Hearing you spout off humorous, half-serious criticisms of Duster gave me the courage to approach him for the final time and tell him how much he meant to me… which prevented Duster from further attacking Lucas. It all stems from you!"

_I never knew, _Boney barked wistfully. _I… thanks, Maya. I really needed that. Lucas talked to me about that, but I figured that he was just being nice. You… really do like me as a friend. That means so much to me…_

Maya bent down and hugged Boney.

"I understand how you felt, Boney. And I still understand how you feel. It feels _awesome _to realize that you don't have to hate yourself. And as someone who went through this myself, I can tell you honestly that it will get even better."

_Geez, Maya, _Boney barked. _No need to be so sappy! You're ruining my image… even if nobody currently watches us._

Maya laughed. Never before had she felt so happy to see Boney act his normal self.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey, everyone! Climax delivery complete! :) **

**The next chapter after this one will be the last, and it's about as long as this one (yes, I'm done typing the rough draft). I think that I may be able to get it out tomorrow, but expect it two days from now.**

**I noticed that I didn't get much feedback last chapter. That's fine, but please tell me if I mess something up in my chapters. :)**

**And the last part of this chapter can get rather confusing... I tried to make it as clear as possible, but it's still rather abstract. Like, probably worse than the Lucas/Voice thing. So to understand it, you will probably have to read it pretty carefully (maybe even more than once?). Sorry! :(**

**Review Responses:**

**A Fan: ****Your review helped a ton! Thanks! :)**

**Actually, the Lucas and Maya scenes take place in New Tazmily. I didn't do a very good job of explaining that. I went back and updated that section to explain that better. And since they're already in New Tazmily, there's no real need to teleport.**

**As for the Mecha-lion, I may have exaggerated its tankiness, but not as much as it first seems. Mecha-lions have pretty good defense against ice, meaning that five PK Freezes will do about 600-800 damage (not sure exactly). Add in a few attacks from Boney and the damage racks up to the ~1000 hp that the mecha-lion has. **

**Yeah, Porky's story is pretty scary. D: It makes me wonder what I would do in his position. I don't think that I'd mess up the world like he did (I'm not that change-making type that Kristen described), but I do think that I would be much different. I tend to accept what everyone around me says, so if I had abusive parents, I would probably believe that I was worthless or whatever they told me. Then I'd start to hate myself. I'd probably develop an eating disorder or something. Wow… that's dark. But thinking about stuff like that is what allows me to deal with these ideas in my writing.**

**PK Love Gamma: ****Oh, that makes sense. :) And feel free to blurt out anything! Well, almost anything. I don't mind. **

**And as for why you're up so late, I'm afraid I can't help you there. ;)**

* * *

_Here we are, _Kristen thought, relishing in the adrenaline that pushing her to run faster. _Time to make a real difference in this world._

Kumatora screeched to a halt as Fassad flew down a small distance away from them, cackling mechanically.

_At least he made himself easy to find, _Kristen thought. _He could have hid in the forest and we never would have caught him, but here he faces us in what remains of New Tazmily._

"WHY ARE YOU HERE?" Fassad asked, his voice unbearably loud and somehow ubiquitous.

"To stop you from hurting innocent people!" Kristen yelled back.

"INNOCENT?" Fassad asked. "EVERYONE IS GUILTY."

"Guilty of what?" Kumatora asked with a snort.

"BEING HUMAN."

"This guy makes no sense," Kristen told Kumatora.

"Gee, you think?" the queen responded sarcastically. "Let's kill this damned thing!"

Kristen nodded and pulled out a laser gun. Fassad laughed.

"DO YOU THINK THAT YOUR TOYS CAN HARM ME?"

"Yes," Kristen replied, her eyes narrowing in focus.

Fassad broke into further laughter and sounded some sort of internal whistle. A group of chimeras came running towards him.

"Damn!" Kumatora shouted.

"DID YOU THINK THAT I WOULD FIGHT ALONE?" Fassad demanded.

"Kristen," Kumatora said, uncharacteristic panic seeping into her voice. "I need you to take care of the chimeras while I focus on Fassad."

Kristen felt a twinge of disappointment. She wouldn't be fighting Fassad?

_I am a weapon, _she reminded herself. _And a weapon cannot feel pride. _

Kristen nodded.

"Thank you," Kumatora whispered and broke into a sprint towards Fassad.

Kristen turned towards the group of chimeras.

_Cattlesnakes… Horseantualas… and some regular snakes._

Kristen sighed heavily as she prepared herself to become a weapon once more.

_I am the model of efficiency… but at what point does that become a bad thing?_

Kristen shook her head. She would immerse herself in this battle now and worry about the consequences later.

That was what she had to do.

* * *

Kumatora never felt truly alive unless her life was at stake. As she readied herself to engage Fassad, her eyes widened and opened to another world. Greens grew more vibrant and lively; blues grew fuller and calmer.

Reds grew sweeter.

Kumatora released an enraged battle cry as she charged towards Fassad.

"WHY DO YOU STRUGGLE?"

"Shut up!" Kumatora spat. "PK Starstorm!"

Stars rained down from the deep blue sky, reluctantly plummeting into the earth around Kumatora and Fassad. Kumatora looked up, hoping to see Fassad in a damaged state.

He didn't look hurt at all.

_Damn! _Kumatora swore in her head. She rolled out of the way as a group of missiles landed in the spot where she stood.

_Didn't even see those… guess I know this guy's fighting style too damn well! _

"YOU NEVER KNEW YOUR PARENTS."

Kumatora halted. _How… does he know that?_

"THAT MAKES YOU BITTER."

"Shut your robotic mouth!" Kumatora roared, even though she knew in the back of her head that he was right.

"WHILE OTHERS AROUND YOU FORMED BONDS WITH THEIR PARENTS, YOU NEVER HAD A CHANCE."

"PK Starstorm!" Kumatora snarled, causing more stars to fall out of the sky and plummet into Fassad.

Right then, a blinding pain overtook Kumatora as she registered the sound of an explosion. Luckily, she put up an adequate psionic stall by reflex.

_Explosives…_ Kumatora thought, remembering how Fassad loved to throw bombs._ I have to push through this!_

Kumatora attuned herself to her heartbeat. Around her, all else fell quiet. She released a guttural wound as she flared her psionic power, flipping a patch of ground upwards.

_…Probably not the best use of my psionic energy, _a part of her mind said, but she felt too angry to care.

"YOU LIVED ALONE."

"Lifeup Beta," Kumatora whispered, rage fueling her crisp actions.

"YOU HAD NOBODY."

"I had… Wess," Kumatora wheezed, unable to shake off the sound of her heartbeat that released sweet, sweet rage into her veins.

"AND HOW WAS HE?"

_Nice to me, but an asshole to everyone else, _Kumatora thought.

"YOU HAD TO LIVE WITH THAT."

"I told you to _shut up!_" Kumatora spat. She _swore _that for a second, she saw Fassad covered in blood. "PK Starstorm!"

Fassad still didn't notice as the stars smashed into his body.

"YOU BECAME BITTER BECAUSE OF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES."

"PK Freeze Omega!"

After the ice around Fassad shattered, he rammed into Kumatora faster than she could believe, sending her soaring into the azure sky. She landed on the dancing grass below, using all of her willpower to avoid crying out in pain.

"YOU ARE IMPERFECT, KUMATORA."

"I have never denied that," Kumatora whispered as she struggled to her feet.

"YOU ARE IMPERFECT BECAUSE OF YOUR CHILDHOOD."

"I would be imperfect either way!" Kumatora shouted, feeling her throat chafe against the booming sound waves that passed through it. "PK Thunder Omega!"

Lightning bolts directed themselves at Fassad's metal body and jolted him.

_At least he looks slightly hurt now… damn it! Why can't I do more? WHY CAN'T I KILL HIM?_

"THIS WORLD IS UNFAIR. YOU GREW UP WITH A DISADVANTAGE."

"Urg…"

Was Fassad _right? _

No… Kumatora couldn't afford to think. She focused on the fantasy of tearing Fassad's robotic limbs off of his body one by one. Yes… that sweet, sweet hope should carry her through this fight.

"YOU THINK THAT I WILL KILL YOUR PEOPLE."

"It wouldn't be below slime like _you!_" Kumatora spat.

"CUTE."

"Shut the _hell _up! PK Starstorm!"

Fassad laughed as stars further wore down his metal body parts. He again tried to ram into Kumatora, but she was ready to react this time.

"PK Wall!"

Fassad slammed into a translucent amethyst wall that appeared out of thin air.

"PK Freeze Omega!"

Fassad still seemed obnoxiously healthy after the ice shattered, but at least he looked _a little _hurt.

"I WILL NOT KILL YOU. I WILL NOT KILL ANYONE."

"What… will you do?" Kumatora asked warily.

"I WILL TURN YOU ALL INTO ROBOTS."

Kumatora shivered.

"What the hell?" she asked. "Why?"

_Why do I care? _Kumatora wondered. _He's a miserable, MISERABLE little piece of shit. Why should I care about what he thinks?_

"THIS WORLD IS IMPERFECT. PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND ME START OFF ON THE BACK FOOT."

"You?"

"I WAS BORN WITH LESS PSI THAN THE OTHER MAGYPSISES. THEY MOCKED ME. THEIR STUBBORN PRIDE WAS THEIR DOWNFALL."

"That doesn't excuse you for trying to end the world!"

"IT DOESN'T. I WAS BITTER, AND WRONGLY SO."

Kumatora blinked. Did Fassad really just admit his wrongdoing?

"NOW I UNDERSTAND. PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND ME ARE WHO WE ARE BECAUSE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT."

"Environment isn't everything," Kumatora whispered. "It shapes us, but we _always _have a choice."

"EVEN SO, THIS WORLD IS UNFAIR. IF EVERYONE IS A ROBOT, WE ALL HAVE THE SAME CHANCE."

"I think that I've heard enough! PK Starstorm!"

Fassad still didn't seem to notice as falling stars dented his body for what seemed like the thousandth time. That made Kumatora's vision throb with crimson rage. She wanted a reaction from this sad excuse for an entity, damn it! After spamming PK Starstorm, she had hoped to send him into a panic, but the robot that floated in front of her seemed incapable of feeling anything.

"YOU DO NOT LISTEN, KUMATORA."

"You don't either!"

"TRUE, TRUE…"

"PK Freeze Omega!"

"I HOPED THAT YOU WOULD PROVE ME WRONG," Fassad droned on as ice formed and quickly shattered around his robotic body. "I HOPED THAT YOU WOULD PROVE THAT YOU COULD HANG ONTO YOUR LOGIC WHILE TRYING TO CREATE YOUR OWN UTOPIA. BUT YOU DID NOT."

"Huh? Why?"

"YOU ARE OUT OF PSIONIC POWER."

Kumatora gasped as she realized that he was right! She hardly had any power left… maybe enough for another alpha ability, at best.

"GOODBYE, PRINCESS."

"No!" Kumatora shouted.

She felt so _helpless. _Was there nothing that she could do? A barrage of missiles exploded around her, creating a zone of death with no safe havens. Kumatora took the brunt of the damage.

_Damn, I'm done for. _

But that didn't mean that Kumatora would sit there and despair. She wasn't the type. Her rage evaporated, replaced by a calm determination.

_I have to get something done, even in this state… I hope that my psionic stall lasts long enough._

Kumatora looked over and saw Kristen fighting with the chimeras. The thief had taken out quite a few of the beasts, but she looked rather beat up. Her black uniform bore gashes and scratches, and she bled from multiple wounds.

_After Fassad finishes me, he'll go for her!_

"Kristen!" Kumatora shouted. "I lost! Fassad's strength… you can't match it! Get the hell out of here!"

Darkness appeared at the corner of her eyes.

_How familiar this sensation seems to me… but now, I know that nobody will come and save me. _

"I WILL COME BACK FOR YOU," Fassad rasped. "YOU WILL MAKE A FINE ROBOT."

"No…" Kumatora whispered weakly, the darkness advancing across her vision, about to conquer her eyes.

"HAVE A NICE NAP, PRINCESS."

Emptiness.

* * *

Kristen decided that if stubborn-as-hell Kumatora said that she should run, there was probably a pretty good reason.

_Gah… _Kristen thought. _Poison… damn it! I should have watched those snakes more closely. Now I can feel my body start to weaken…_

Kristen turned and saw Kumatora start to collapse. She _so badly _wanted to go back and help…

_No, _she told herself. _Kumatora knows what she's doing. You'll be more useful if you don't throw away your life._

Kristen gritted her teeth. She would have felt guilt, but she was a weapon. Weapons did not feel guilt.

Kristen turned back and ran away. It felt cowardly…

But better a coward than another nameless corpse.

* * *

"Duster," Lucas said, striding forward next to his former friend. "Do you know where Fassad could be?"

Duster scowled as he realized that Lucas' PK Run allowed him to walk at the same speed that Duster ran.

"I'm not trying to show off," Lucas explained. "I'm just trying to save energy. If I really wanted to pat my own ego, I would break into a sprint and leave you behind."

"Fair enough," Duster admitted. "As for Fassad… we know that he came from the western wilderness. We should check that area first."

Lucas nodded; that idea had popped into his head as well.

_But will Fassad really camp out there, knowing that we would likely search that area first? _Lucas wondered.

Lucas immersed himself so deeply in thought that he didn't see the person that almost crashed into him.

"Whoa…" Lucas let out.

He looked at the woman that had surprised him. She wore a tattered, black uniform with an assortment of gadgets on it, making her long, charcoal hair blend in amongst the darkness of her clothing. Lucas' heart leapt. He knew this woman.

"Kristen!" Duster shouted. "What happened?"

_Kristen… the thief. _

Kristen shook herself out of shock, although she eyed Lucas nervously.

"I… Fassad is ahead," Kristen said. "He chased me off."

"Fassad?" Duster asked incredulously. "What the hell were you thinking, challenging _Fassad?_"

Kristen's face dropped in shame, although Lucas could see an inner anger light up in her eyes.

"I made a mistake," Kristen muttered. "Is that so wrong?"

"You could have _died!_" Duster roared. "Of course there's something-"

"It's fine, Kristen," Lucas interrupted with an amiable smile. "At least you learned not to challenge robotic magypsies again, right?"

Kristen flashed a grin.

"What a thoroughly worthless lesson."

Lucas laughed.

"Yeah… maybe we should widen that. You learned not to charge into a fight that you can't logically win, right?"

"Actually," Kristen whispered. "I'm glad that I made this choice."

"_What?_" Duster shouted. "You're _glad _that you almost died?"

"I'm an adult," Kristen whispered, although she seemed to shrink back. "I know my life's worth. The chance to take out Fassad was worth the risk."

"Well, I commend your bravery," Lucas said before Duster could respond. "But I must question your logic. Attacking such a robot without backup… that doesn't seem like a large enough chance to justify taking that risk…" Lucas trailed off as he noticed Kristen look downwards in probable shame. "…You weren't alone, were you?"

"You're right," Kristen whispered. "Someone else came."

"Who was with you?" Lucas probed gently.

"I…" Kristen took a deep breath. "Kumatora."

An arrow of fear pierced Lucas' heart.

_I hope that she didn't suffer injuries… or worse._

"KUMATORA?" Duster shouted.

Kristen shrank back further.

_Where's Boney to make some sort of humorous comment about the volume of Duster's voice? _Lucas wondered.

"You…" Duster spat as he pointed his finger at Kristen. "You _lied! _You told me that you were coming here, but you went and freed the queen!"

"So you imprisoned her?" Lucas asked.

"Yes…" Duster answered unapologetically.

"Well, we needed her in this fight," Lucas said. "So Kristen here didn't do anything wrong."

Kristen shot Lucas a thankful look.

Duster looked rather angry at Lucas' comment, although he also seemed to understand the logic behind his words. Lucas had seen that conflict many times before in his brother Claus.

"Fine," Duster spat. "It just annoys me that you would blatantly _disobey _me like that."

"People have their own beliefs, Duster," Lucas responded. "Trying to suppress those beliefs often only makes them stronger." He turned to Kristen. "We will try to take down Fassad. Do what you will, but I would not recommend fighting him in your current state."

Kristen nodded. Duster seemed to grudgingly accept how Lucas dealt with the situation.

_Maya probably could have done that better, _Lucas realized. _I understand people, but she connects with them. I still don't know how she placated Duster…_

"Fassad is back there," Kristen said, pointing to the side of New Tazmily that lead to the western wilderness. "Please be careful, all right?"

"Sure," Lucas replied with a smile. "It was nice to meet you for real, Kristen. Our first encounter doesn't count."

Kristen's eyes widened.

"I… you…"

"Remember that? Of course I do; it was only a few days ago."

"You just don't seem mad at all," Kristen whispered in wonder.

"I was never mad," Lucas explained. "Only disappointed. Well that, and scared for Maya."

"Maya?"

"The hostage."

"Oh… not one of my proudest moments, I must admit."

"Well, we can talk about this more later. Goodbye!"

Kristen nodded farewell. Lucas and Duster took off towards Fassad. Soon after parting ways with Kristen, Lucas heard robotic sounds of laughter.

Moments later, Fassad materialized from around a corner.

"Let's give this fight a good shot, Lucas," Duster said, his hard voice betraying only determination.

Lucas nodded, reluctantly embracing the adrenaline that surged through his body.

"MORE CHALLENGERS TRY TO FACE ME?"

"What did you do to Kumatora?" Lucas demanded.

"SHE IS MINE NOW."

"Well, you had _better _give her back!" Duster yelled.

Fassad smirked condescendingly.

"I SEE NO REASON TO SUCCUMB TO THE REQUESTS OF FILTHY APES."

"The background of our species is not a weakness," Lucas responded. "It shows us just how far we came."

Fassad laughed. The mechanical noise that came out of his mouth seemed _pained, _somehow.

"HOW FAR YOU CAME DOES NOT MATTER. YOU ARE WEAK."

Throughout the conversation, Lucas had secretly been using support PSI on both him and Duster. Now he was prepared to fight.

Lucas ran forward and attempted to bash Fassad with his staff. Fassad smirked as he flew teasingly out of Lucas' reach.

"PK Fly!" Lucas shouted, feeling his body rise into the sky.

"Lucas!" Duster shouted. "Use that move on me too!"

Lucas shook his head sadly.

"I'm sorry; this ability only works on myself."

Duster sighed and pulled out a gun from one of his pockets.

"I guess it's a good thing that I keep one of these around."

"YOU TRY TO FIGHT ME IN MY DOMAIN?" Fassad demanded, rising further into the sky.

"The sky is not yours alone," Lucas replied, his voice icy and his pose aggressive.

Fassad snarled and propelled himself towards Lucas, doubtless hoping to use its metallic body as a vehicle to bum-rush the king.

"PK Blink," Lucas whispered.

The world around Lucas instantly shifted to a different position. The world didn't swirl like when Lucas used Teleport, it just… _changed. _Lucas now found himself floating right behind Fassad while the magypsy barreled forward. He had teleported himself _behind_ Fassad, and proceeded to lash out with his staff, catching the robot off guard.

"CUTE. BUT YOUR TOYS WILL NOT STOP ME."

_Toys? _Lucas thought.

Electric bolts soared through the sky from below, each one of them making contact with Fassad's metal body.

_That must be Duster's gun… good thing that he attained proficiency with that weapon after he left._

"IMPRESSIVE FIGHING. I MAY HAVE TO REEVALUATE MY STRATEGY."

Fassad turned and flew higher into the air.

"PK Blink," Lucas whispered again.

Lucas again appeared right behind Fassad and landed a hit. The robotic magypsy didn't seem to notice as it continued to climb higher.

"PK Love Omega!" Lucas shouted, releasing all of the emotion that carried him through battle.

An array of blue hexagons sprang from Lucas' mind and advanced towards Fassad. They tossed it around like a baby, dealing significant damage to its already wounded body.

Fassad kept flying upward.

"I'm going to chase it!" Lucas yelled down at Duster. "It looks wounded; I believe that I possess the necessary tools to win this one!"

Duster nodded.

"Go for it!"

Lucas flew in pursuit of Fassad. When he finally caught up, the houses below appeared as tiny dots on a vast, green landscape.

"WE ARE HIGH UP, NO?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Lucas asked.

"HIGH UP… WITH NOBODY TO HELP YOU."

"Don't care," Lucas replied curtly and charged.

Fassad darted out of the way as Lucas missed the attack by inches.

_Argh! _Lucas thought in frustration. _I haven't practiced enough with aerial maneuvers!_

"AS MUCH FUN AS IT WOULD BE TO CONTINUE THIS, I FEAR THAT I MUST PUT AN END TO THIS GAME."

"Heh. How do you plan on doing that?"

Fassad looked at Lucas with a gleam in its robotic eye.

"YOU FORGET."

"Forget what?" Lucas asked as he warped behind Fassad and landed yet another attack.

Fassad sprayed a white gas at Lucas.

_What did that… oh no! _Lucas felt an unparalleled sense of alarm. _Forgetfulness gas! _

Fassad grinned.

"YOU SEE NOW. WITHOUT PSI, YOU ARE BUT A CHILD."

_I can deal with this, _Lucas thought, replacing his panic with rapid thought. _I could try to keep fighting, but that would probably not be a good idea without PSI. I should retreat and regroup with Duster…_

Lucas dove downwards like a peregrine falcon. If he suffered damage from the extreme velocity, he could heal it later.

Probably.

It took Lucas a couple of seconds to realize that he was being followed.

"GOODBYE," Fassad rasped, diving down next to Lucas.

_What does it mean by that? _Lucas wondered.

"DISPEL PSIONICS."

Lucas' heart froze in fear.

_No… it can't be…_

Lucas found himself falling.

_No… it dispelled my PK Fly! And here I am, thousands of feet in the air…_

Lucas gulped.

"FEAR NOT, CHILD. I WILL NOT LET YOU DIE. I HAVE FURTHER… USES FOR YOU."

In that moment, Lucas didn't think that it had been possible to feel more fear, but those words from Fassad terrified him to levels that he hadn't thought possible.

_Further uses… what could it mean? _

Lucas looked at the land below that seemed to be rushing up to break his fall. He felt the wind fly past his face, lashing at his skin. The whole scene felt… surreal, somehow. The prospect of death or something worse just didn't seem _real _in that moment.

The land below came closer.

Lucas sighed, releasing all of his worry without quite knowing why.

The land came closer.

_Must have hit terminal velocity by now… _Lucas figured emotionlessly.

Lucas hit the ground.

* * *

Kristen felt her body weakening.

_Oh right, the poison._

She felt delirious as she trudged forward, not quite sure where she was going. The world swirled around her as Kristen struggled to remain upright. It felt like she had to push through a metal barrier to send messages to her legs.

_Just put one foot in front of the other…_

In the back of her mind, Kristen registered a gasp coming from another person. She wearily looked up…

"PK Freeze alpha!"

Ice encased Kristen's body, cutting off a scream. Luckily, it shattered quickly, leaving Kristen to gasp as she fell to the ground.

_Well, this is embarrassing, _she thought mirthfully.

Kristen tried to pull herself off of the ground, but her limbs felt too gelatinous to support the rest of her body. Kristen's eyelids fell down like broken blinds. Why did she feel so _exhausted?_

"I… stay back!"

That was the same voice that shouted PK Freeze… it sounded like a girl.

"I… really don't have much of a choice in this state," Kristen wheezed, barely managing to open her eyes.

Kristen tilted her head to look upwards. The shock of the person standing above her almost jolted her upright, limbs of gelatin or no. Like the voice suggested, the person was a teenage girl with relatively short brown hair and deep, hazel eyes. She looked at Kristen warily, but a buried concern showed through.

"You…" Kristen whispered. "Maya. The person that I took hostage."

The girl sneered viciously.

"Yeah, just talk about it casually. You know, having a _freaking _gun pointed to you head is an everyday occurrence, right?"

A dog barked in the background.

"Yeah, Boney," the girl said. "This is the woman who almost killed me. _Of _course I'm bitter."

_Almost killed you? _Kristen thought, anger pushing her body back to its normal self. _I would never… and is she talking to that dog?_

"I… am sorry," Kristen managed.

"Of course you're _sorry, _now that I'm a threat! I see why Lucas didn't want me to use PSI. People pull out a bunch of bull crap to throw at me when they're _scared._"

"You know PSI?" Kristen whispered, wanting to refute the girl's claims but knowing that she wouldn't listen.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"I… do you have anything that could cure poison?"

Maya glared at Kristen.

"You have some nerves, woman, coming up to me after you _threatened to kill me _and asking if I'll heal you."

"…Please."

That provoked a sympathetic look from the girl, although she quickly buried it. The dog barked again.

"Do you really think that I should help this woman?" the girl asked, turning to Boney. "She's a waste of oxygen, after all."

The venom in those words made Kristen feel guilty.

_Geez, I must have scarred her more than I thought…_

The dog barked a response. The girl sighed and turned back to Kristen.

"Thank Boney, he might have just saved your life. I don't have PSI that heals poison but… Lifeup Alpha!"

Maya touched Kristen while speaking those words. Instantly, Kristen felt some of her strength return.

"The poison remains in your system, but that should cover the effects for a time," the girl explained.

"Thank you," Kristen said, struggling to her feet.

Maya stepped up and took Kristen's backpack off.

"I can hold that backpack…" Kristen said. "I think that I have enough strength."

"I don't trust you with weapons," Maya responded sharply.

_…Oh._

Maya went through Kristen's backpack, which annoyed Kristen more than it should have. After all, most of the stuff in there wasn't even hers.

"Gadgets… more gadgets… oh, what's this?" Maya asked as she pulled out the drago fang.

Boney growled and barked angrily.

"A… drago fang?" Maya asked. "And this thing _killed _Lucas' mother?"

_Okay… _Kristen thought. _I thought that talking to animals indicated insanity, but that information is consistent with what Flint told me. Can she really speak with animals?_

Boney barked a reply.

"Huh, this thing is harder than pretty much anything else on earth?" Maya responded. "Even _steel? _…Wow."

"Maya," Kristen spoke up.

"Hm…?"

"I really am sorry for what I did."

Maya cocked her head and stared at Kristen similar to how a scholar would read a particularly complicated book.

"Well, you seem sincere, but I do get duped easily. I guess… that I accept your apology."

_That has got to be the most grudging acceptance that I've ever seen… and I lived with Drake for two years! _Still, Kristen couldn't really blame Maya.

Boney barked something at Kristen.

"Really?" Maya asked.

"What did he say?" Kristen asked.

"He says that you will collapse soon and that you're horribly weakened under that confident pose of yours."

_…That's kind of true. _Kristen could feel the poison slowly seep through her veins, sapping away her energy…

Boney barked something at Maya.

"Yeah, normally I can read people, but I have trouble seeing the woman in front of me as a _human,_" Maya answered.

Ouch. That hurt.

"The name's Kristen, by the way. And… err… do you know of a way to get rid of this poison?"

Boney barked something else at Maya.

"Wait, _you're _poisoned too?" Maya asked, jolting up straight. "And we sat here for minutes bickering? Does you laziness know _any _bounds?"

Another round of barks from the dog.

"We covered this before. 'Discerning in my endeavors' just means lazy. Besides, you could be at mortal risk! At this point, 'lazy' might be a compliment!"

Kristen was surprised at how friendly Maya sounded when speaking those potentially offensive words. She didn't seem completely serious; the grin on her face could attest to that.

_I guess some people are just different._

Boney barked a reply.

"Wait, you _know _where antidotes are?" Maya asked in disbelief, somehow retaining her smile. "What the hell are you doing here, then? Go to Isaac's house, wherever it is. We need one for you and one for Kristen here."

Boney head-butted Maya playfully and took off running. Maya shook her head.

"That dog, I swear…" Maya trailed off as she looked at Kristen. "You _do _look like you're about to fall over!"

"I'm… fine," Kristen lied, feeling herself wobble around. "I… just need to sit down."

Kristen took a seat on the grass but still felt shaky. Her teeth started chattering, although she didn't know why.

"Here," Maya said, squatting down next to Kristen. "PK Anti-G!"

Kristen felt herself… lighten.

"What did that do?" she asked.

"It reduced gravity's effects on you. So… you're lighter now."

Kristen stood up with relative ease.

"This is easier… but I still feel a bit wobbly," Kristen remarked. "I don't really trust myself to fight in my current state. "

She sat back down.

"Well, I wouldn't trust you to fight either way," Maya replied, although with less hostility than before. "So feel free to just chill."

_I suppose that I can't blame her for harboring reservations about me…_

"Hmm?" Maya asked, staring off into the distance intently. "I think I hear someone coming…"

* * *

Right then, Duster came into view, sprinting towards Maya and Kristen. Maya couldn't help but worry about Lucas' absence… By the time that Duster arrived at the scene, the knowledge of not knowing what happened made Maya feel like she was about to explode.

"Kristen…" Duster panted. "You're safe. That's good. But we have to keep running!"

"Why?" Maya asked.

Duster looked up at Maya. His face betrayed a level of concern that was the equivalent of the normal person screaming in terror.

"Fassad is coming."

"Fassad?" Maya asked, feeling a chill rush down her spine. "What happened to Lucas?"

"Is Kumatora all right?" Kristen added.

"Fassad… beat Lucas," Duster wheezed. "Now let's _go!_"

Maya blinked. Lucas… lost? That didn't seem possible.

"We should stay and fight," Maya whispered.

"What?" Duster asked. "Are you insane?"

Once, those words would have pierced her heart, but now she shrugged them off without breaking her train of thought.

"Yeah… we just need to pull his needle, right?"

"Needle?" Duster asked.

Maya's eyes widened in horror.

_I… never told them about the needle, _she realized. _How could I have been so stupid? _

"I… can't believe that I forget to tell you," Maya whispered. "That might have caused Lucas' defeat, which in turn may cause the death of so many innocent people."

Maya couldn't imagine the extent of the pain that people would suffer if Fassad won… and it would be her fault. Maya wasn't sure how she would _ever _be able to live with herself after that.

"We all make mistakes," Kristen piped in with a weak smile. "No point in beating yourself up now."

_But I might have just hurt so many people! _

Maya balled her fists and released an anguished _scream._

"Great," Duster muttered. "Now Fassad knows where we are for _sure._"

Maya shot a glare at him.

_They don't understand how much I hate myself for botching my chance… _

"Maya, I know that this must be tough for you…" Kristen started.

"People always say that," Maya replied. "They never understand."

"Please, Maya…"

"Hmph."

"I thought that you said that you had gotten over your phase of self-hatred," Duster said harshly.

Maya jolted straight up, shooting a death look at Duster.

_Why am I so mad? _She wondered. _I… guess it's because I know that he's right. I know that I shouldn't beat myself up, but him pointing that out just makes me more mad that I'm not doing what I should._

Maya took a deep breath.

"All right," she said, letting her anger fizzle out. "I'm not completely sure about this, but I think that Fassad has a needle that grants him all of his power."

That wasn't totally true, but it came close enough and didn't require further laborious explanation. Duster nodded, not bothering to ask how she knew that.

"So, where is it?"

"I… don't know," Maya admitted, biting her lip.

In the background, Maya heard the noises of trumpets.

"Fassad's closing in," Kristen whispered shakily. By now, the poison had turned her skin green.

"You have no idea?" Duster asked.

"No," Maya answered, feeling her heart sink into the depths of despair.

"Think!" Kristen encouraged. "There has to be a way!"

_How can she stay so upbeat while she's being poisoned to death? _Maya wondered. _I guess that if she can hang on like that, the least that I can do is think about possible solutions…_

Did Maya had any knowledge of where Fassad's needle could be? No… Claus had never told her, and she had never seen the robotic magypsy in person. That meant that Maya had to find a way to determine where the needle lay. She could try to leave it to simple observation, but that didn't seem like it would yield results. After all, Duster probably would have noticed the needle if it were easy to see.

_How can I expose a needle? It could be anywhere._

Well, what did she know about the needle? It was psionically enchanted to allow Fassad to control the robot from the psionic realm… _That's it! _Maya thought. _Fassad's ghost in the psionic sends commands through that needle in the form of psionic energy._

_I can see that energy with PK Distort! _

"Did you think of something?" Kristen asked.

"I… this might work," Maya answered cautiously. "I need to use one of my abilities to allow someone to see in terms of a different dimension… which should be able to detect the needle!"

Duster snorted.

"Are you sure about this?"

"No, but it's the best that I have," Maya answered.

"Fair enough. Should I present myself as the recipient of your ability?"

"I was thinking that I could do it…" Maya replied. "After all, I've done it before. Besides, seeing in that dimension doesn't allow access to normal sight. You're too useful to waste on such a task."

"Guys," Kristen whispered. "I should be the recipient. I won't be useful in combat anyway. If I don't, I'll just lie here."

Maya bit her lip.

_I don't like this… but she's right._

"YOU TRIED TO RUN."

"That's Fassad!" Duster yelled. "Quickly!"

Maya nodded.

"PK Distort!" she shouted, hoping that she allowed Kristen to see the psionic realm rather than showing her hallucinations based off of what she feared.

Maya looked back and saw Fassad floating above Duster.

_He looks so human… but every part of his body is metallic. _

"PK FREEZE OMEGA," Fassad boomed emotionlessly, wrapping Duster in a sheet of ice.

_No! _Maya wanted to shout. _Duster… _

She had forgotten how it felt to be so _helpless._

After a second, Duster broke out of the ice and pressed a button on his revitalizer.

"Damn," Duster whispered. "I don't have enough juice in this thing for another heal."

"And I'm almost out of PSI," Maya added grimly.

_Yikes! It does not seem like we will come out the victors of this one…_

Yet somehow, Maya didn't feel afraid.

"Bottom… of his left foot," Kristen mumbled. "It radiates psionic energy. So much energy…"

"What?" Maya asked.

"The needle!" Duster shouted. "It's planted in the sole of his left foot!"

"HOW?" Fassad asked, panic starting to seep into his voice. "HOW DO YOU KNOW?"

Kristen blinked, looking around at the world around her in wonder. She didn't seem to notice anyone else.

_I wonder what she sees… _Maya thought. _I wonder what the psionic realm shows her._

"I can see your thoughts," Kristen whispered. "I can see the maps that make up your minds. Duster… your psionic map is filled to the brim with rage. That's not healthy. Maya… I can see now. I can see your pain. How can someone be so broken and yet so whole?"

Kristen broke down into tears.

"I… it's beautiful, Maya."

Maya blushed.

"And Fassad… so _cold. _You're not of this world, are you?"

"DELERIOUS," Fassad said, seeming like he aimed to convince himself rather than Maya and Duster with those words. "SHE IS DELERIOUS."

Duster shot Maya a determined look that said: "I'm going in."

Maya nodded.

"PK Anti-G!" Maya shouted, reducing gravity's pull on Duster so that he could jump higher.

_Well, that was the last of my psionic power, _Maya thought. _I hope that this works._

Fassad's head snapped back towards Maya and Duster, but it was too late. Duster leapt and soared through the air. In panic, Fassad tried to fly out of the way, but Duster's long, wiry fingers grabbed onto Fassad's left leg.

Maya ran under Fassad, hoping to provide assistance. She saw a small, unremarkable object protrude from the bottom of Fassad's left foot.

_That must be the needle! _Maya thought excitedly.

Duster grabbed the needle with his free hand. He pulled with all of his might.

Nothing happened.

Fassad broke into cruel, metallic laughter.

"YOU NEED PK LOVE TO PULL THE NEEDLE. DID YOU FORGET?"

_He must have faked panic to give us false hope, _Maya realized as her determination fled.

"Desperation makes fools of us all," Maya whispered wearily in reply.

Fassad looked at her curiously.

"PK FREEZE OMEGA."

Maya flinched as she expected ice to enclose her fragile body, but nothing happened to her.

Duster, on the other hand, fell to the ground as his body became trapped in ice. He hit the ground. Ice shattered, some of the fragments hitting Maya. He didn't move.

_No… _Maya thought. _Why didn't he use psionic stall?_

_Is it because he knows that we lost?_

"Duster!" She shouted, running over to him. "Duster! Please be okay…"

"YOU ACT ILLOGICALLY, CHILD."

Maya shrunk back.

_No! _a part of her mind screamed. _I'm helpless again!_

But she was just too afraid to resist. Fassad picked her up like a baby, carrying her into the sky.

"WHY ARE YOU AFRAID?"

Maya started crying.

"WHY?"

Maya shrank back further.

"TELL ME."

"I… can't," she whispered.

She had forgotten how it felt to be so _small. _

"BAH. HUMANS ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH. THEY NEVER HAVE BEEN, AND THEY NEVER WILL BE."

"…No," Maya whispered.

"WHAT?"

"We will _always _defeat monsters like you!"

Fassad laughed.

"YOU? DEFEAT ME?"

Maya shook her head.

"I didn't and I never will. I don't have the raw strength and determination to defeat you. But that's okay. Because what I lack in single-minded focus, I make up for in flexibility!"

"EXCUSES. YOU ARE WEAK."

_Just a little more… _Maya thought.

"That's the thing, Fassad," Maya chided, somehow finding her confidence once more. "There are different types of strength. And even if I can't beat you, humans in our society exist who _can _take you down."

"WHO?"

Maya smiled in what she hoped was an insufferable way.

"YOU BLUFF."

"Look behind you."

"YOU STALL. I WILL NOT LISTEN TO YOUR LIES."

While caught up in his words, Fassad missed the human soaring towards him from below. Kristen leapt up (courtesy of PK Anti-G) and grabbed onto Fassad's left leg.

"The power… stems from the needle," Kristen whispered deliriously. "I can see how it flows. That… makes up his robotic body. I can see his shape based on his psionic map."

"IT IS INSANE," Fassad said, mostly to himself. "THE HUMAN IS INSANE."

"Ah, yes… I can see the protections that the needle has," Kristen mumbled. "It looks like I can't pull it."

Fassad laughed.

"EVEN IT KNOWS THAT YOUR MISSION IS HOPELESS," Fassad told Maya.

"So stubborn… so arrogant," Kristen murmured. "And yes, Fassad has the logic to back its claims up, but emotion rules the earth!"

_This is pretty sad, _Maya realized, harboring second thoughts about Kristen's ability to make an impact. _What do we think that we can accomplish? Emotion may rule the earth, but that doesn't change the fact that we can't pull the needle._

With a start, Maya realized that Kristen held something in hand that she didn't use to hang onto Fassad. The object flashed a dull white and narrowed to a point at the end.

_The drago tooth… _Maya realized. _What good will that thing do?_

Maya blinked in sudden realization. She had been looking at the situation wrong the entire time. Yes, they couldn't pull the needle.

But that didn't mean that they couldn't hurt Fassad in other ways.

Maya grabbed onto the Drago's tooth, holding it in union with Kristen.

"You ready for this?" Maya asked as loudly as she could.

_Kristen can't even hear me, _Maya realized. _The PK Distort blocks out all sensations from the physical realm._

"Let's go," Kristen whispered deliriously, staring straight at Maya. "Let's end this robot's sad existence!"

_…Can she understand me? _Maya wondered.

"YOU CANNOT DO A THING," Fassad said.

"Yes we can!" Maya shouted.

In unison, Maya and Kristen drove the drago tooth into Fassad's left knee, a simple joint without extra padding. The tooth started to drill a hole, screeching painfully as it bore into metal. After a few seconds, Kristen pulled the tooth back out, revealing a small hole in Fassad's knee.

"The pathway that the needle's power flows through has been opened," Kristen slurred. "Psionic power leaks out of the hole that we drilled. I can see now… Fassad will cease to function after all of the psionic energy diffuses out."

Maya couldn't see the power leaking out of Fassad's body like Kristen described, but she imagined blinding psionic energy bursting out of that hole like a roaring fire.

"NO…" Fassad said, static popping up in his voice. "HoW COulD ThIS haPPEn?"

Fassad started to fall to the ground.

"i MuST cOnTRoL mY BOdy…" Fassad said desperately. "iT WiLL nOT EnD LiKe thIS…"

"Goodbye, creature of vanity," Kristen whispered.

Fassad's rockets that propelled him upward shut of completely. He, along with Maya and Kristen, plummeted to the ground.

"And hello, new opportunities," Maya added as she slammed into the ground. She could feel darkness start to overtake her as agony dulled her senses. "What new purpose will we find after you leave, creature of spite?"

The darkness rose up to claim her.

"Our future remains wide open," Maya whispered. "You failed to take that away from us, Fassad. Our new frontier did not close!"

Maya fell into unconsciousness.


	14. Chapter 14

***Yawns* Why am I so tired today? DX**

**So… yeah, this is the last chapter for New Frontier. Unlike City of Progress, I feel that I actually explained everything that I wanted to, so I'm not planning on writing any bonus chapters. :) **

**Thank you so much for reading all of the way through this story! :) It really means a lot to me, and the reviews that you guys write give me the motivation to keep going. I was far less motivated to write this one than City of Progress, and I debated abandoning it multiple times. But I'm glad that I didn't! :) Thanks again, everyone! …Man, I sound cheesy. xD **

**Review Responses:**

**SuperMarioFan5000: ****Thanks! :) You'll see that Maya and Kristen are a bit more friendly in this chapter. Maya's a pretty impulsive person, so she launched some nasty words without really thinking about them first. But yeah, I can't really blame her either. :( And sadly, I don't think that was me. D: My mii doesn't wear glasses (I made it before I got my pair), I haven't played For Glory recently, I don't play Ness much (I mostly play Zelda and Falco right now), and I don't remember anyone with the "SMF" tag. :( And also, if you played against me, the matches probably wouldn't be fun. ;) I'm a pretty reactive player and I like to sit back and throw long range attacks.**

**A Fan: ****Yep, this chapter is my conclusion! :) And this one didn't turn out as dark as you imagine. This story was originally supposed to be K+, and I didn't change the plot after switching it to T.**

**PK Love Gamma: ****Well, we'll see what happens to Lucas. :) Remember, this was supposed to be a K+ story, and I didn't alter the plot at all when I switched it to T. **

**Just A Fan: ****Thanks! :) I spent a ****_lot _****of time thinking about the climax, so I'm glad that it turned out well! It's harder to make a good climax for a shorter story, because it feels like the protagonists haven't gone through as much and there isn't as much on the line.**

* * *

Kristen jolted awake in a bed. She took in the stone walls that surrounded her, feeling uneasy.

"Welcome to Osohe Castle, Kristen. I appreciate that you come as a guest and not a thief this time."

Kristen turned to see Lucas staring straight into her heart with an ancient smile on his face.

"What happened?" Kristen asked, unable to hide her panic. "Is everyone all right?"

"Yes, everyone recovered fully. Quite a miraculous turn of events, I must admit."

Kristen let out a sigh of relief.

"Maya recounted her version of what happened," Lucas stated.

Kristen stiffened.

"And I must say that you performed quite admirably. Thank you for your service to my people, Kristen."

"I… what did Maya tell you?" Kristen asked in surprise.

"She said that she used PK Distort on you and you identified where the needle lay embedded in Fassad's body. After that, Duster tried to pull the needle but failed. Fassad picked her up and you jumped on the train, holding the drago's fang. You then pierced Fassad's body, breaking the psionic pathway and therefore cutting his control of that puppet."

_Puppet? _Kristen wondered. _I have to ask Maya about that later._

"That's… wonderful," Kristen responded. "After she used PK Distort on me, I wasn't really sure if anything around me was grounded in reality."

"Not being able to trust yourself feels strange, doesn't it?" Lucas asked.

"…Yeah."

"Regardless, I have a few things that I must tell you."

"Oh…?"

"First of all, stealing objects from Osohe's vault is forbidden, obviously."

Kristen felt her heart drop into her stomach.

"So I decided to pardon you. I don't think that anyone will care, considering everything that happened."

Kristen's eyes lit up.

"However, those objects are still property of New Tazmily. I fear that I must seize them."

"…Oh."

"Do not feel _too _disappointed, Kristen. Duster and I plan on talking about what to do with all of New Pork's technology and the path that we should take in the future. We may decide to hand over some or all of the technology in our vaults to Ruldor."

Kristen's eyes lit up.

"Would you really do that?"

"If I felt that it was the best choice, then yes. However… I do fear creating another New Pork."

Kristen nodded. Who didn't?

"I… do not know if you can make demands of Ruldor through Duster," Kristen said hesitantly. "Ruldor has no real government, so everyone is allowed to do pretty much whatever they want…"

Lucas smiled.

"And getting enough momentum to convince those people to do anything will be nearly impossible," he added. "I know that already. Thanks for the heads up, though."

Kristen nodded awkwardly.

"You might want to say hi to Duster sometime," Lucas recommended. "He worried himself sick over your health."

"…Really? Duster?"

"Yep."

"I… never knew that he cared about me," Kristen said in wonder. "I always thought that he viewed me as a nuisance. His words made it seem that way."

Lucas broke into another ancient smile.

"I got the same feeling for a while when I adventured with him. I think that Duster just has trouble expressing appreciation or friendship. After all, his father cared about him but never really showed it, so Duster must have picked up on that unfortunate habit."

"I… don't think it's fair to pin the blame on Duster's father," Kristen argued. "After all, Duster still had a choice on how to act. It's not like his father forced him to act a certain way."

"You make valid points, but I do not think that this 'choice' is as visible as you think. After being conditioned to think that compassion was shown through acting hard and pushing the person to become better, he didn't really think about the alternative. I'm sure that he saw people profess their gratitude in other ways, but he probably figured that they were just… different."

"Maybe your explanation could suffice if Duster was a teenager like Maya," Kristen countered, "But he's an adult! All of that is on him now."

Lucas nodded.

"I agree."

"…What?"

Lucas smiled.

"I agree that he must take responsibility for his actions now that he's an adult. But I still think that his father shaped who he is today. Although… maybe that's just because I do not like Wess."

"Why not?"

"We had some rough experiences with each other. After my mother died, I became a wreck. I just needed time to weep and pull myself together. But Wess always tried to drag me away. He called me a crybaby and a wimp. I think that he even called me a pussy. Being only ten at the time, those words hit hard."

"…Wow." Kristen didn't know what else to say.

"He thought that his words would anger me into proving him wrong, but they just crushed me even more."

Kristen blinked.

"I felt like that around Duster _all the time!_" she exclaimed.

"And you are emotionally harder than I, at least when I was ten. Duster's attitude probably annoyed you, but Wess' words _destroyed _me. So… I still bear a grudge against him for that. For a while, I tried to justify that hatred by telling myself that I opposed his methods, which I did, but deep down I knew that I despised him as a person."

"You just don't seem like the type to hate anyone," Kristen whispered.

"I try not to… but I failed," Lucas replied good-naturedly. "It's okay. Nobody's perfect, especially when we're ten. I'm trying not to hate him as much now that he's dead…"

Lucas trailed off as Maya came bursting into the room.

"Kristen!" she shouted excitedly. "You're okay!"

Kristen fidgeted with a gadget to hide her discomfort.

"Oh, don't give me the silent treatment," Maya huffed. "Come on, we _won! _If that doesn't call for a celebration, I don't know what does."

"You… don't hate me?" Kristen asked.

"Well, I can't deny that my left temple aches out of the memory of having a gun pressed there every time I see you, but I'm fine for the most part."

_That's not exactly what I would call "fine"…_

"But, hey!" Maya shouted. "_Great _job out there! You did awesome!"

"You… think so?"

"_Of course _I think so! I mean, come on! You jumped and latched onto Fassad _with one hand _while you were weakened from the poison and couldn't even see him!"

"I could see his… essence," Kristen replied.

"Still, managing to adapt to Anti-G like that normally takes _a lot _of practice. And your idea to pierce his metal skin with the drago fang… genius!"

This time, Kristen embraced Maya's compliments rather than feeling uncomfortable. She sat up a little straighter as her heart flooded with positive vibes.

"Thanks, Maya."

Maya nodded enthusiastically.

"I should be thanking you! You did all of the work, after all." She turned to Lucas. "Oh, I wanted to ask you something. What exactly happened with everyone else?"

"…Oh," Lucas answered. "Let's see if I can remember… Well, I only really know what happened to me. I tried to fight Fassad, but he disabled my PSI and dispelled my PK Fly. I fell and took mortal damage, but my psionic stall gave me a few minutes to act. I played unconscious to get Fassad off of my back. He used some device that healed enough to keep me alive but unconscious. Kumatora said that he kept her alive with that same device because he wanted to turn us into cyborgs rather than killing us…" Lucas shivered.

_Wow, _Kristen thought. _Imagine if he had succeeded… _

"Anyways," Lucas continued, "I hopped up and tried to locate Duster after Fassad left. Instead of finding him, I came across my father and his miniature army. I fell unconscious right then, but they somehow managed to wake me up. I still couldn't use PSI because of the forgetfulness gas, but I went back to the combat scene and found you two and Fassad on the ground. One of Fassad's feet was moving, but the rest of his body remained still. I looked at it and saw some sort of… needle stuck in it. I pulled the needle and the twitching stopped."

_Huh, _Kristen thought. _Since the needle remained planted in his foot, Fassad could still control the area up to where we punctured the pathway… so he could move his foot but do nothing else._

"And then, Boney arrived with some antidotes," Lucas continued. "He forced Kristen to ingest one and spent the rest of his time sitting next to you, Maya."

"Aw," Maya said. "That's sweet."

"Yeah," Lucas replied. "I think that he likes you more than me now!"

Kristen couldn't tell if Lucas was being serious or not. Maya laughed regardless.

The door swung open again as Kumatora entered the room.

"Good job out there, Kristen," Kumatora announced with a proud smile. "I guess we're both catalysts, but you, unlike me, can do your damn job!"

She chuckled wryly.

"Well, I was only able to defeat Fassad because you told me to run rather than panicking," Kristen countered.

"True, true…" Kumatora mused. "I guess I didn't do _too _terribly, despite my dumbass decision to engage that hunk of metal."

Lucas walked up and put a hand on Kumatora's shoulder.

"Well, I made that same 'dumbass' decision, so we can be idiots together."

Kumatora laughed.

"Thanks, Lucas. That actually helps, believe it or not."

"I don't think that you two did wrongly," Kristen said.

"…Really?" Kumatora asked.

"Sure. I mean, you made the wrong decision logically, but I don't think that you engaged Fassad because of sheer logic."

Lucas' eyes widened in realization.

"You're saying that because we attacked him due to an idealistic goal of saving lives rather than a logical goal of trying to eliminate him with the lowest risk with respect to reward, our actions weren't dumb?"

"Exactly." _And how did you figure that out?_

"Well either way, our real challenge begins now," Kumatora told Kristen.

_Yes… our challenge to fit into a peaceful society without causing further strife._

Lucas and Maya shot both of them strange looks.

"Yes," Kristen responded simply.

It took Kristen a couple seconds to notice that Duster had entered the room. _Geez, does he have to walk so quietly? I know that he's a thief by trade, but come on!_

"Hello, Dra-Duster," Kristen said.

Duster nodded.

"It… is good to see that you have recovered."

Kristen smiled.

"Thank you for expressing that sentiment inside of you."

Duster blinked.

"So you know how I struggle with showing compassion."

Kristen nodded.

"I had no idea that you actually _cared _about me, Duster! I know that you want me to improve, and there's nothing wrong with pushing me to be better, but I really would have appreciated it if you focused on some of the positives instead of the negatives."

Duster looked up to the ceiling in thought.

"I… will try."

_Good enough, _she thought. After all, she couldn't really ask more than for him to try his hardest.

"And Kristen?"

"Yes?"

"Good job out there."

Kristen felt her heart swell from the compliment.

"That's a good start," Kristen replied. "And thanks."

* * *

"Hey, Boney!" Maya shouted, running across Osohe Castle's courtyard. "Nice job out there!"

Boney looked up at Maya and wagged his tail.

_Yeah, because I definitely did not get lost on the way to Isaac's house,_ Boney barked._ Definitely_ _not. _

Maya laughed.

"You were supposed to know the way!" she exclaimed playfully. "How could you possibly get lost?"

_Remember, I didn't get lost. Totally. Definitely._

Maya shook her head, although she couldn't help but smile.

"So," Maya said after a pause. "Are you ready to party?"

_Party?_

"Yeah! I mean, we _have _to celebrate after that, right?"

Boney cocked his head in thought.

_I don't know. Lucas doesn't really endorse parties._

"Well, screw Lucas! We'll party together!"

_I… guess, _Boney barked, although he seemed thankful of Maya's offer.

"Maya!" A voice shouted from across the courtyard. "We were worried sick about you!"

Maya looked behind her and her heart dropped into her stomach.

"Ah, hello… mom and dad," Maya said meekly as they walked up to her.

"Where did you go?" Maya's father demanded. "You shouldn't have worried us like that!"

_The world is about more than just you, _Maya thought bitterly. _I had people to help!_

"I told you," Maya replied coldly. "I had to talk to Lucas about something."

Boney shot a curious look at Maya.

_He's probably wondering why I act so icy… and to be honest, I don't really know._

"Young lady, you _will not _talk back to me like that," her father asserted.

Maya matched his glare, anger replacing fear.

"Talk back? I just answered your question! Fine. Next time, I _won't _respond when you ask!"

A part of Maya knew that she was taking this too far, but she was too angry to care.

"Quite sassy today, are we?" Maya's mother mused. "Perhaps we should ground her."

"Yes," Maya's father concurred. "_That _will teach her to respect us."

"I don't understand what you want!" Maya exclaimed. "You asked a question and I answered it! Then you fault me for that and I acknowledge that I was wrong to respond, and then you fault me for _that_! What do you want me to do?"

"In your words, Maya, 'the tone of your voice says more than your words do,'" her father countered coldly.

_…__Oh._

_This is better than watching a drama on TV! _Boney barked. _Mostly because we don't have TVs anymore. This is actually pretty crappy entertainment._

"I am _so _sorry," Maya muttered to him sarcastically.

"What did you say?" Maya's father asked.

"Nothing," Maya replied.

Her father adopted a hard glare.

"_What _did you just say?"

"Nothing important!"

"I don't care if you think that it's important. What did you say?"

"Listen, as much as you like to have complete control over me, you really do not need to know the exact words that I uttered."

Her father's face hardened further. _Was that too harsh? _she wondered.

"I will _not _back down on this one, Maya."

"Fine, I'll tell you the truth, and you won't believe it," Maya conceded, feeling exasperated. "I said 'I am _so _sorry' sarcastically…"

"See, I knew it was something disrespectful," her mother interrupted with a frigid smile.

"…to Boney," Maya finished.

Maya's father blinked.

"Nice try! Of course you were _talking to the dog. _What could possibly be out of the ordinary there?"

"I never claimed that it was ordinary," Maya countered, "But it happened."

Maya's father buried his face in his hands.

"Why do you have to be so _difficult?_" he asked harshly. "We were just concerned for your safety. What's wrong with us caring about you?"

Maya flinched, guilt starting to flood her systems.

_Manipulative propaganda alert! _Boney barked.

Propaganda?

_They're appealing to your emotions rather than using logic, _Boney explained, seeing Maya's confusion, _because they know that they can't beat you in a logic fight. Your father wants you to feel guilty about something that isn't your fault!_

But was it her fault? After all, she _had _worried her parents, and they just wanted to keep her safe…

_This isn't your fault! _Boney repeated, letting passion slip into his words and mingle with the logic. _Don't feel bad for being difficult! You have your own opinions, and your parents won't accept them. That's why the see you as being difficult, Maya!_

Maya blinked.

_You probably blundered when you spoke to them so rudely, but they also blundered in their response to your words. Additionally, they handled the overall situation rather poorly. They instantly play the victims and make it seem like you committed some horrible crime by worrying them. In truth, you needed to go out into the world outside and take risks if you truly wanted to make a difference. Your parents were right to worry, but you were not wrong to venture out!_

"Thanks, Boney," Maya whispered. "I think that I would have come crawling back to them if you hadn't said that. I would still feel bitter and my bitterness would only worsen this problem. I… need to push through my guilt and face it head on."

Maya gulped and looked her father straight in the eye.

"I do not assert that you were at fault to worry about me, but that's not what this conversation is about. I talked to a dog. Heck, I just did it again a few seconds ago. If you don't believe me, that's fine, but I'll stick to that story."

Maya's mother sighed, which made Maya bite the inside of her mouth to keep herself from showing annoyance. Lyne's sighs always seemed so _condescending, _giving off the message that she was tired of dealing with everyone around her.

"Okay, forget those words that you muttered under your breath earlier," Maya's father replied. You still worried us sick!"

Maya swallowed her guilt. She had to be strong, now!

"I'm sorry that you felt that way," Maya responded.

Maya's father's face darkened. Maya had only apologized for how they felt and not for her actions, which her father didn't seem to like.

"But you always tell me that it's important to be a good person," Maya continued, "And I wanted to spread goodness. So I had to step out of my comfort zone and put my other problems on hold. I _am _sorry that I cut you off earlier, dad, but I had something _really important _to do."

"That's no excuse," Lyne countered with a bloodless smile. "Running away from your father was downright _rude, _young lady."

"I don't deny that," Maya responded, looking her mother in the eye. "However, some things out there carry greater importance than respect."

_Besides, you never respect me, _she wanted to add.

"You could use that excuse for anything that you do!" Maya's father exclaimed. "If I accepted that excuse, then you could say that your mission was more important than showing basic decency in any situation!"

"Exactly," Maya replied, relishing in the looks of shock on her parents' faces. "After all, isn't that what you two always do? Don't you always cut me off and ignore me because other things are more _important?_ The only time that you pay attention to me is when I do something wrong."

Maya no longer felt bitter saying those words. They were simple facts, and no more than that.

"That's enough!" Maya's father exclaimed. "I _will not _listen to you insult me like this?"

"Ah, but I've listened to you insult me for 13 years, just like you demanded. Doesn't that make you… a hypocrite?"

"Grounded!" Maya's father shouted.

_…__I was already grounded, but okay._

"You will not be allowed to leave your room for a _week!_"

Maya raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't that a bit harsh, _especially _since you're not even listening to what I'm actually saying before you hand down your verdict?"

"Maya, I am your father, and-"

"Yes, and that makes everything that you do morally right regardless of whether or not it actually _is. _Spare me the rhetoric, dad."

Maya walked towards Osohe castle.

"Where do you think that you're going?" Lyne demanded.

"To my room," Maya answered. "Didn't you just say that I was grounded?"

Maya's parents exchanged nervous looks.

_Wait, you're actually doing what they tell you to? _Boney barked.

"Yeah," Maya whispered. "I think what they really want is for me to beg for forgiveness or whatever. But I won't do that, at least until they treat me as a person rather than a pawn. If I ignore them completely, that doesn't solve anything. But if I accept their verdicts while maintaining my self-righteousness, they can't say that I'm some unruly, rebellious child while also not earning the security of thinking that they were right all along. That will make them feel uneasy, which is what I want. Because that way, they might start to think about whether or not they really _were _right. I may have gone a bit overboard back there, but I really do not feel that my parents listen to _anything _that I say, and that's something that they have to change before we can achieve a mutually beneficial relationship."

_Huh, _Boney barked. _So you're willing to spend a week in your room just for that?_

"Nah," Maya whispered. "I can sneak out. My room has a window and I know PK Anti-G."

_Ah._

At this point, Maya had nearly reached her room. Her parents didn't seem to be following her.

"Hey, kid!"

Maya turned around to see Queen Kumatora striding towards her.

"What's your name again?" she asked. "Sorry for forgetting… or did you ever tell me in the first place?"

"I don't remember if I did," Maya replied sweetly. "The name's Maya."

Kumatora nodded.

"Anyways, Lucas is meeting with Duster about that technology crap that Kristen stole…"

"Just curious, but… why aren't you there?" Maya asked.

Kumatora flashed a grin.

"I try to leave policy to Lucas, generally. I would just muck everything up. I don't have any self-restraint, you know?"

Maya nodded. She had that problem sometimes as well.

"So, anyways, do you want to practice PSI with me?" Kumatora offered. "I'm bored out of my mind, and I think that I can teach you a few tricks that Lucas can't."

Maya's eyes lit up.

"Sure!" she responded. "Although… I am supposed to stay in my room for a week."

"Not a problem," Kumatora replied. "We can just teleport out. Nobody will know that we ever left."

"Oh, duh!" Maya exclaimed. "I sometimes forget about just how much PSI can do."

"Yeah," Kumatora whispered. "Sometimes, I scare myself because of how much I can do with my powers." she shook her head. "But that doesn't matter right now. Let's go!"

"Gladly!"

_You two have fun! _Boney encouraged.

"Thanks," Maya replied. "Hey… do you want to come with us?"

_Um… I don't know why I would._

"Well, I thought that it would interest you more than sitting around here…"

Boney's eyes lit up.

_Well when you put it that way, it makes sense. I think that I'll graciously accept._

"Everyone ready?" Kumatora asked.

"Yep."

_Ready as I'll ever be._

"PK Teleport Omega!"

* * *

Kristen felt anxiety flow through her body as she entered the house where Lucas and Duster talked. Both of them paused their conversation to look at her.

"What are you doing here?" Duster asked.

Kristen closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Sometimes, she didn't think that Duster realized how imposing he could be.

"Ruldor is not ruled by anyone, so for discussions between two towns, I believe that we should send multiple representatives to better represent Ruldor's population."

"And you volunteer as another representative?" Lucas asked.

"Yes."

Why was it so hard for Kristen to maintain her confidence while saying that one word?

"Well, that logic makes sense to me," Lucas replied. "What do you think, Duster?"

Kristen blinked. She had thought of many possible reactions from New Tazmily's king, but immediate agreement was not one of them.

"Hm…" Duster mused. "I am not sure about this."

"Why?" Lucas asked. "She is fallible, true, but so are we. She may be able to catch our mistakes."

"We risk losing ourselves in numbers," Duster replied.

"With three people? I do not think so."

Duster shrugged.

"I suppose that you are right." He turned to Kristen. "Welcome aboard."

Kristen had to restrain herself from pumping a fist in the air.

"So, let's get right into this, shall we?" Lucas asked.

Kristen nodded.

"We begin our discussion on the topic of the stolen goods," Lucas continued. "My father compiled most of the weapons that were stolen and urges me to hang onto them, as they are the property of New Tazmily. As much as I appreciate your generous gestures to the people of New Tazmily—I mean when you allowed my father and the people of New Tazmily use the weapons in your possession to fight—I agree with my father's plan of keeping possession of those weapons and storing them back in the vault. What are your thoughts on that, Kristen and Duster?"

"It doesn't seem fair," Duster responded. "If Kristen gave those items up for you to borrow, shouldn't you reward instead of penalize her? Besides, she saved New Tazmily by destroying Fassad! Shouldn't that count for something?"

Lucas nodded.

"A standard reaction. However, I must point you to the moment of the theft. Stealing from New Tazmily's vault of technology is a crime. I believe that Kristen's actions warrant a penalty, despite her noble efforts to protect New Tazmily."

"That's ridiculous!" Duster shouted. "She did more for this town than you ever did!"

Kristen expected Lucas' face to harden, but the king merely smiled.

"Perhaps you are right," Lucas mused. "But a crime is still a crime. Theft is still theft."

"Theft is not inherently wrong," Kristen spoke up, trying to keep her voice even.

Lucas looked at Kristen and motioned for her to continue.

_Too quick! _Kristen thought. _He expected my reaction! _

That made Kristen feel uneasy. What game did Lucas wish to play with her and Duster?

"Stealing from a tyrannical government is justified," Kristen argued. "After all, theft is just another way of harming someone. And harming evil people is not wrong."

"You think so?" Lucas asked.

"Yes," Kristen replied confidently, "And I think that you adopt that principle more than you think. Every time that you defeat a pigmask, you hurt them. But your actions were justified because you were fighting to protect and revitalize rather than to ravage and destroy."

"And you claim that you attempted the same thing when you robbed New Tazmily?" Lucas asked without missing a beat.

Kristen bit her lip. _I have to be honest with Lucas. I have to be honest with myself._

"…No," Kristen answered, surprised at her own response. "At the time, I believed that I stole for the purposes of creation, but you and Kumatora were not the oppressive rulers that I imagined. Stealing is justified in some cases, but not in that one. I should have talked with you and Kumatora first to gain the knowledge needed to gauge the situation."

_And I didn't formulate that until just now, _Kristen finished in her head.

Lucas broke out into a smile.

"I hoped that you would say that," he said. "So does that indicate your willingness to part with the stolen goods?"

_Damn! _Kristen thought. _I walked right into his trap… or did I? Lucas pushed me to react in the way that I did, but I don't feel manipulated. Those words that I spoke come from me alone!_

_…__Is it possible that Lucas_ _knew more about me than I did and guided me along the right path?_

"Yes," Kristen answered. "Yes, I was wrong to steal those goods, and I relinquish all claims to them."

Lucas' smile widened.

"Thank you, Kristen. I sincerely hoped for this outcome. It makes everyone's lives so much easier."

"Wait," Duster piped in. "Did you _know _that Kristen would say what she did?"

Lucas shook her head.

"Guessed, not knew. I felt quite nervous because I could have easily misjudged her… we did only meet a couple times, and then only briefly. But it seems that my intuition about her was right."

"How do you read people like that?" Duster asked. "I've been around Kristen for years, and I couldn't have predicted _anything _that she spouted during this meeting."

"My mind is a vault of information, Duster," Lucas answered. "I archive subtle details and emotions that many people would miss. And just like a vault, I do not act swiftly. I do not judge often. But I do have all of the information to make conclusions. That information sometimes entangles me, but in this case it paved the way to deeper understanding."

"What a lucrative skill…" Duster mused.

"Do not forget that his mindset carries drawbacks as well," Kristen responded. "Being able to archive instead of judge does not always provide an advantage. Sometimes, the need for quick action trumps data-based, analytic thought."

Lucas nodded.

"Exactly. We need people of all types, mine and yours."

Duster seemed touched by Lucas' words.

"So, is that all?" Kristen asked.

"No," Lucas replied. "We still need to talk about technological advancement on a macro scale."

_I guess that makes sense, _Kristen thought. _But still, what a tricky topic!_

"I don't know why you would prohibit technological advancement, Lucas," Duster said. "First of all, it wouldn't work."

Lucas shook his head.

"I think that I could get it to work if I had to. Rulers throughout history did it multiple times."

"That doesn't make it right," Duster countered.

"I didn't say that it was," Lucas replied without missing a beat. "I agree that going to extreme lengths to eradicate advanced technology is morally wrong, but what if prohibiting further growth could save the world from turning into another pigmask empire? Would it still be wrong?"

"Yes," Duster asserted. "Restricting people's freedom is always wrong."

"But every law in existence restricts someone's freedom," Lucas replied. "For example, we lock up murderers. They could argue that we restrict their freedom to do what they want, and they're right. We restrict their freedom to kill others because such restrictions are morally right. If other restrictions help people, they are morally right as well."

"But this restriction may not help people," Duster responded.

_It feels like with every exchange, Duster has to relinquish some ground, _Kristen thought. _How does Lucas argue so well?_

"You may be right, Duster," Lucas replied. "That's why I want to hear from you and Kristen."

Duster raised an eyebrow.

"You two seem to think that technology has its merits," Lucas explained. "So tell me why. Who knows? I might even listen."

_"__Might" listen? _Kristen thought. _Knowing Lucas, he'll pick up on sentiments that even we haven't fully realized._

"One aspect of technology that I pinpoint as a positive is science," Kristen spoke up. "The pigmasks made some major scientific advancements that lead to the development of better medicine."

Lucas smiled and nodded, his whole attention focused on Kristen.

"Yes, that provides an excellent example of technology's merits," Lucas agreed. "Advanced medicine would help many people here in New Tazmily. And it can even provide substitutes for broken limbs!" Lucas motioned to Duster's synthetic leg. "However, my concern lies in the quality rather than length of life. Preserving lives only to throw an entire population into a city like New Pork doesn't seem worth it, to be honest."

"New Pork was not so bad," Kristen argued. "It had… splendor."

"Its splendor proved to be hollow," Lucas countered.

"Why do you say that?"

"Everyone in New Pork felt so… empty. There was so much to do, but none of it seemed worthwhile. Seeing a film on a screen is no substitute for spending time with your family."

"Or is it?" Kristen asked. "Films can display ideas and thoughts that can greatly improve a person. Really, they are not so different from books."

Lucas nodded thoughtfully.

"That's a good point."

"To be honest, I think that New Pork only seemed hollow to you because it was _different,_" Kristen said.

Lucas cocked his head in thought, not seeming to take any offense at her words.

"You… may be right. However, I honestly do feel that a society like New Pork can sap the liveliness out of people. Its cold, mechanical interactions seemed less meaningful than the ones in Tazmily, somehow."

"I don't think that New Pork is to blame for that," Kristen argued. "I feel that Porky's fascist government drove his people to become husks of zeal."

"Hmm… and we'll never know for sure…" Lucas trailed off. "Still, your explanation makes sense. After all, why can't some of New Pork's activities be used to build relationships with friends and family?"

Kristen was impressed that Lucas could change his mindset so quickly, although she tried not to show it.

"But small town life still has its benefits," Lucas continued. "After all, we live in unison with the forest. Nature truly provides a joy to many."

Once, Kristen would have denied those words, but now they didn't even annoy her.

"Yes, some prefer a smaller life with nature while others relish in the opportunity of the city… Which is why you should let people _choose _their path. Let New Tazmily remain small and technologically undeveloped, but allow Ruldor to grow!"

Lucas looked Kristen in the eye and smiled.

"I want to agree with you," he said.

_I sense a "but" coming, _Kristen thought.

"However, one large concern pops into my mind."

_…__Close enough._

"Yes?" Kristen asked.

"The system that you proposed was set up before the world's rebirth. The big city ended up engulfing the small town. No matter what happens, I will _not _let that happen again."

"I blame fascism once more," Kristen replied. "If Porky had let things naturally play out, I believe that both New Pork and Tazmily would have thrived. But he set fire to the woods. He created chimeras and scared everyone to New Pork. We won't do that in Ruldor."

Lucas looked into Kristen's eyes.

"I… trust you. Take all of the technology we have stored in our vaults and do what you will with it."

"Really?" Kristen asked, not quite believing him.

Lucas nodded as he released a weary sigh.

"You convinced me that technology can be used responsibly, between your arguments and your willingness to relinquish claims to the weapons that you stole. I just have one request," he finished, furrowing his brow in thought.

"What is it?"

Lucas paused, his eyes flashing with concern, uncertainty, and then finally grim determination.

"Teach them to respect us," Lucas said, his voice steely and his teeth gritted. "When you get back to Ruldor, teach the people there that New Tazmily is a quaint little town that refuses to embrace technology. And tell them that we're damn fine the way that we are!"

Kristen smiled.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

Lucas exited the house, numerous doubts nagging him. Had he really been right to allow Ruldor to progress?

"Watch where you're going, dumbass."

Startled, Lucas looked up to see Kumatora standing inches in front of him. She smiled good-naturedly.

_Geez, how do I miss people in instances such as this?_

"Lucas!" Maya shouted as she ran up next to Kumatora. "Duster! Kristen!"

_I think that shouting everyone's name was totally necessary right then, _Boney barked as he bounded next to Maya.

"Shush," Maya hushed.

"So," Kumatora started. "How did the meeting go?"

"I'm not sure," Lucas replied grimly. "Give it 50 years and then we'll see."

"Trust me on this one, Lucas," Kristen said with a warm smile. "Ruldor will be different than New Pork. So long as fascism and imperialism aren't allowed to flourish, none of New Pork's destructive qualities will form."

"I hope that you're right."

"So you're letting Ruldor advance technologically?" Maya asked.

Lucas nodded.

"Come, Kristen," Duster spoke. "We should go. We have to gather all of those devices in the vaults and then make our way back to Ruldor."

"Already?" Maya asked. "But what about the party?"

"Party?" Lucas asked, groaning inwardly.

"Yeah, Kumatora and Flint are setting up a party since we beat Fassad and all… and you don't need to act so glum about it, Lucas!"

"Hmph," Lucas muttered. "I'm right in the middle of a good book, too."

Maya rolled her eyes.

"You're hopelessly antisocial."

"I suppose that's fair."

"So," Kumatora cut in, speaking to Kristen and Duster. "Would you two like to come to the party?"

"No," Lucas answered.

Maya huffed.

"She wasn't talking to you. And you _have _to come! After all, you need to set a good example for your people."

"…Partying doesn't set a good example, Maya."

"Come on, everyone wants to watch you gorge yourself. I even signed you up for the pie-eating contest!"

"_Please _tell me that you're kidding."

"Sadly, yes…" Maya trailed off. "Should have done that…"

Lucas sighed in relief.

"I think that I would like to come," Kristen answered, saving Lucas from further bickering. "How about you, Duster?"

Duster paused and shook his head.

"Parties aren't really my thing."

_Thank you! _Lucas thought.

"I think that I'm going to gather up the devices in the vaults and head back to Ruldor," Duster continued.

"Do you want someone to teleport you?" Kumatora offered.

"Nah," Duster answered. "I need some time alone to think. Walking gives me time to ponder."

"Duster," Lucas said. "It's wonderful that you try to think about your actions. Don't hesitate to come and talk to us sometime. Problems become far less menacing when you can work them out with someone else. I think that you lost sight of what really mattered because you tried to take everything on by yourself. You didn't tell us about Fassad and you didn't tell us about your despise for my marriage. You kept that anger to yourself and let it spread and grow."

Duster swallowed and nodded.

"I… suppose that you are right. Taking all of the world's problems on by myself made me bitter. Sometimes I look back at the person who I was and wonder why I changed so much… I guess now I know."

He turned away.

"Thank you, Lucas," he whispered. "Thank you, everyone."

He walked away, heading towards Osohe Castle.

"Well," Maya announced after a pause, "It's time to prep for the party!"

"We probably shouldn't," Kumatora replied. "It doesn't start for hours."

Maya sighed.

"Killjoy."

_I think that's my line, _Boney barked, and Lucas rolled his eyes.

"You two…" Lucas said. "You're bad influences on each other."

"I blame Boney!"

_I blame Maya._

"…See?" Lucas asked, and Maya broke out into laughter.

_I had no idea that she could be so goofy, _Lucas thought.

"Huh," Kumatora spoke. "You seem to spend a lot of time around Maya, Lucas."

"Yeah… I guess so."

"Lucas," Maya said. "When you're married and your wife talks to you about spending time with another girl, you're supposed to get defensive."

Lucas blinked.

"I'm sorry, I didn't…"

Kumatora laughed.

"I don't really care. Part of what drew me to you was your acceptance of pretty much everyone around you."

Lucas sighed in relief.

"Did you really think that I would be so petty?" Kumatora asked.

"No, which is why I didn't act defensive in the first place. We've always been rather… open with each other."

Kumatora nodded.

"Open relationships are usually the best ones. After all, if we're spending the rest of our lives with each other, we should probably get an unfiltered view of who the other person really is."

"Hey, Kumatora," Kristen spoke. "I was wondering if you would be willing to show me around town… and I was thinking that we should visit the hospitals. I think that some of the wounded people could use psionic assistance."

"Lucas already healed all of the people that he could," Kumatora replied. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt to check. It's not like we have anything else to do… and it would be a nice opportunity to show you around town."

Kristen smiled.

"Thanks!"

"No problem," Kumatora replied, flashing a smile.

"Kristen," Lucas said. "Come by and visit every once and a while, all right?"

"Yeah!" Maya piped in. "After all, I want to know you better so that I don't resort to hating you again."

Kristen blushed. It looked out of place on her.

"I… thanks, guys. That really means a lot to me."

"And that's the stuff that I suck at," Kumatora added. "You ready to go into town, Kristen?"

Kristen nodded and took off, following Kumatora.

"Well, I guess it's just us again," Maya said.

_Don't forget me! _Boney barked.

Maya bent down and pet Boney.

"Nobody's forgetting about you."

Boney seemed to appreciate that comment, which surprised Lucas. It was hard to take anything either of those two said seriously.

"Oh!" Maya exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "I have a proposal for you, Lucas and Boney."

"Yes?" Lucas asked.

Maya took a deep breath.

"I don't know if this will work, but…"

_Just spit it out, Maya! _Boney barked.

Maya nodded.

"How would you two like to see Claus again?"

A ray of shock shined on Lucas' heart. How had she known about Claus? No, that didn't matter. Lucas had a chance to see Claus again. Nothing else mattered.

He had a chance to see his brother again.

"I would love to," Lucas whispered, his voice shaking from joy and anxiety. "Claus…"

_Do you even have to ask, Maya? _Boney barked. _Of course we want to see Claus!_

The passion in Boney's words pushed Lucas' emotions even further.

"Claus…"

Tears sprouted in Lucas' eyes, clouding his vision. He felt sad, sad at the mere thought of his deceased brother.

_Claus dying in my hands…_

_Claus trying to kill me…_

_Claus screaming for a way out…_

_Claus taking off his helmet and smiling sadly…_

_Claus opening his eyes…_

_His eyes… they aged a thousand years…_

_Claus!_

But in that sorrow, Lucas felt a sense of joy wash over him, drowning all of his worries. The sky became a little fuller, the grass below his feet became a little more vibrant. Lucas closed his eyes as he felt a gentle breeze carry him away from his mortal world of cares and worries. Lucas opened his eyes and stared at the radiant sun, popping out as a sphere of light from the azure sky.

_After all, _Lucas thought, _Claus' death marked the start of a new world. Kumatora and I worked so hard because we had seen just how far Claus had fallen. Nobody deserves to bear the pain that Claus did… the dull pain that caused him to view life as a chore and suicide as a logical way out. We built this world so that nobody else would have to become another Claus. His death shattered the world and reforged it into what it is today._

_And now I have a chance to tell that to him._

_There's so much that I want to ask him… there's so much that I wanted to do with him. Our childhood ended at age ten. I spent the next three years becoming an adult, and Claus spent the next three years suffocating in a body that wasn't his. After mother died, we never had the chance to be ourselves._

_And now we do._

_Through this door to the past, I shall discover who my brother has truly become… and through that, who I have truly become._

Lucas looked back down, taking in Maya's concerned eyes and Boney's tail wagging back and forth eagerly. He couldn't describe how _good _it felt to watch this new frontier expand in front of him. Lucas smiled.

"I'm ready," he said.


End file.
